A Tryst Beyond Destiny
by colorsinmycanvas
Summary: Wang So found out too late that Hae Soo had loved him deeply and waited for him until her last breath and that his daughter, Soel was growing up with Jung in Chungju. This fanfic is about what happens after that. Does So get to spend time with his daughter? What happens when Soel meets Ju (So & YH's son)? Will Jung keep his promise to Hae Soo to keep Soel away from the palace?
1. Chapter 1 - Star Gazing

(964 AD, 15th year of Gwangjong's reign)

"And that constellation over there, the one that looks like a kite is Pesosu" finished So pointing towards the night sky as he sat by the Damiwon lake feeling happy for the first time in a long time. [So had pronounced 'Pegasus' wrong when Soo pointed it out to him years ago.]

"Are you sure? That's not what I was taught", asked the little girl sitting comfortably on his lap. Her eyebrows were raised and her up-turned face had an expression of disbelief.

"Of course, I'm sure. You were taught wrong", said So as he rapped her gently on her forehead.

As he wrapped the blanket more securely around her tiny shoulders and settled down to relate more stories about the stars, he smiled thinking back to a very similar conversation he had years ago with Hae Soo, under the same night sky.

In the past 3 years, ever since he found out about his daughter's existence, it had become routine for him to summon Jung to the capital city on some pretext or the other, every 3 to 4 months. He didn't dare to do it more often for fear of tipping off those at the palace especially Queen Yeon Hwa. The last thing he wanted to do was to undo all the trouble Hae Soo went to just to keep her daughter away from the political intrigue and dangers surrounding palace life.

The first few times, he had specifically asked Jung to bring the little girl along. He remembered how Jung had brought her unwillingly the first time and hovered around them while So spent time with her. Eventually, they had settled into a routine where Jung would leave him alone with his daughter for a few hours while he tended to business. This time, So managed to send Jung away on a mission leaving his little girl with him for a whole 2 days.

Getting no response to his story, So looked down to see his daughter sleeping snugly, her head nestling in the nook between his arm and his chest. He gently carried the child back inside and put her to bed. As he gently stroked the hair off her face, she turned towards his hand and rested her cheek against the palm of his hand, smiling in her sleep. A tear rolled down So's cheeks. If only he had held on to Soo a little longer, if only he had known, if only….

He looked up to see Soo smiling back at him. His mind was playing tricks on him again. But that was okay.

He smiled as he reminded her, "I told you, didn't I, that you wouldn't be bored in the future?" He looked down with pride at the sleeping child and sighed, "She's a handful, isn't she? She takes after you. Did you know that she loves the prayer towers you built? She insists on adding more stones to the pile every chance she gets. And she refuses to believe when I tell her about the constellations."

His smile faltered as he continued, "You should've been the one to tell her about the stars….. and the 1000 bed time stories you promised."

The tears were coming in torrents now. So quickly shook his head and dried the tears. No, he cannot afford to return to reality. He gets very little time with Soo as such. He looked up to see the image of Soo as she sat there smiling at him while patting the sleeping child. The image was fading.

He smiled as he said, "I think I'll take our little girl on a boat ride tomorrow. You can come, if you want. You will come, won't you?"

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts. Pretty please... :-)


	2. Chapter 2 - The Butterfly Effect

I did some extensive googling on Goryeo's 5th King Gyeongjong (So and Yeon Hwa's son Wang Ju) and 14th prince Wang Jung. I even had google translate entire pages from Korean to English. This is what I found:

Wang Jung had 2 sons and 1 daughter. This daughter married King Gyeongjong, So and Yeon Hwa's son. She was his second wife, Queen Hunui (not to be confused with the Iron Empress which was his 3rd wife). There was no information available on Queen Hunui - when she was born or when she died or whether she had any children.

Combining this with the existence of Soo's daughter Soel in the Moon Lovers universe, I'm taking a creative license to history to write the love story of Wang Ju and Yoo Soel. Yes, they are half-siblings and yes, it's a little weird. But if Yeon Hwa can marry Wang So, it's a lot less cringe-worthy to have a Soel – Ju (mini Soo – mini So) romance. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.

* * *

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -E-N-D- -O-F- -F-O-R-E-W-O-R-D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

* * *

(967 AD, 18th year of Gwangjong's reign)

Ju's grip on the sword tightened. His knees threatened to give way and the tip of his sword sank deeper into the ground as he used it to steady himself. Sweat poured from his brow as he looked down and exhaled, the weariness catching up to him.

But the next moment, he threw his head up, shook off the sweat from his drenched mane and leapt towards the tall man standing nonchalantly a few feet away, right hand lightly gripping a heavy sword. Uncle Jung was one of the very best. Tales of his exploits against the Khitan when he was a Grand General were legendary. No one would dare to challenge him to a duel except Ju because no one could expect to win such a duel... except maybe his father. That was exactly why Ju had been challenging Uncle Jung to a fight every chance he got.

If he could defeat the legendary General Jung, maybe his father would notice. Maybe, just maybe, he would look him in the eye and smile at him... the way he smiled when he saw Uncle Baek Ah or THAT girl. At the thought of her, anger mixed in with the frustration deep rooted in his heart and Ju roared as he attacked Jung with all his force.

Jung parried the blow but it took him by surprise and pushed him back a few paces. A flurry of reckless strokes and a minute later, Ju found himself doubled down on the ground completely spent, still gripping his sword for support. His lips spread in a wry smile as he glanced up and noticed Uncle Jung breathing heavily and inspecting himself for damage. He was getting better. In a few years, he will beat Uncle Jung and then challenge his father. If he can't have his father's love, he will earn his respect.

"Abunnim", a bright voice called from behind him. Ju glanced up to see Jung looking shocked and flustered. SHE was here. His grip tightened on his sword and he felt anger rise within him. He forced himself to stand up. He had only caught glimpses of her in the past. His father and Uncle Jung did everything in their power to keep her from meeting anyone important in the palace. There was speculation and rumors around the palace that she is too old to be Uncle Jung's daughter from his current marriage. At the same time, there are no records of him having any children from his first marriage. So who exactly was she?

Ju decided in that instant that he will solve this puzzle today and find out first-hand just what was so special about this girl. She might not even be royalty. What right did she have to spend so much time with the Emperor of Goryeo when his own son struggled to hold his attention for more than a few seconds? Ju turned around as hatred coursed like poison through his veins. Mother speculated that the girl might be the spawn of that lowly court lady who snared not 1 or 2 but 4 princes before finally marrying Uncle Jung. Maybe she was extremely beautiful and conniving, Ju reasoned.

As he turned around, he saw a petite girl bounding down the stairs, her hair flying in all directions and eyes shining with happiness. There was an unrestrained joy about her that he had never seen or felt before. The world suddenly seemed to become brighter and more beautiful. She gave him a dazzling smile as she ran past him and hugged Uncle Jung.

Ju forced himself to look away. "There's nothing special about her", he told himself. She is not even that beautiful; only slightly prettier than average. But his eyes seemed to seek her out against his will as she spoke animatedly to Uncle Jung who tried to spirit her away before the Queen noticed her presence.

That was when he saw her hairpin – a flower with a butterfly sitting on it. That is what she is, he realized with a start. A beautiful butterfly that makes you notice the flowers around you. He was shocked at how much he wanted to stop Uncle Jung from taking her away. He watched helplessly as they walked away from him until they turned a corner and she was out of his sight. "She is special", Ju finally admitted to himself.

* * *

So, what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3 - Can You Hear My Heart?

(969 AD, 20th year of Gwangjong's reign)

As she walked across the palace grounds, Soel's eyes automatically gravitated towards the astronomy tower by force of habit. A smile spread from her eyes to her lips as she saw a lone figure resting on the railing of the 10th floor balcony, his robe swinging gently in the breeze. From where Soel stood, he was visible as little more than a speck, but that was enough to make her heart leap.

Over the past year, every time she was in the palace, she looked for ways to sneak out and walk the grounds and every time the astronomy tower came into view, her eyes searched for this particular speck. A clattering sound woke Soel from her trance as she realized that she had bumped into a maid walking in the opposite direction and sent all the dishes the maid was carrying crashing on the ground. Apologizing profusely, Soel quickly helped the maid gather the pieces despite said maid's protests that it was her own fault.

When Soel looked back up, the elusive speck was no longer on the 10th floor. In a panic, she swept her glance down from the 10th floor balcony and caught the speck sliding down the ledge outside the 9th floor balcony.

"Why doesn't he ever use the stairs?" Soel grumbled to herself. But as she looked around, she realized that her dad had walked on, deep in conversation with some minister, while she was helping the maid clear up. She gave a whoop of joy as she realized that she was free to go exploring on her own.

Dad wouldn't notice that she's gone until he reaches the throne room and Uncle So asks for her. Uncle So - maybe, it's time she called him Dad. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do that. It seemed like a betrayal to her adoptive father whom she would then have to call Uncle Jung.

Soel shook herself out of her reverie. If she hurried, she might be able to catch up to that speck as it dropped to the ground in front of the astronomy tower. She ran like the wind hoping to finally say hi to that annoying little speck. By the time she reached the base of the astronomy tower, Soel noticed that the speck aka crown prince Ju was nowhere to be found.

After some frantic searching, she found him strolling calmly towards the lake. "He must be going to the prayer towers", Soel mused happily. "That would be the perfect place to confront him". After all, that was where she saw him for the first time, years ago. Her mother had built the piles of stone that formed the prayer tower and she made it a point to add to them every time she visited the palace.

For years, she had noticed that the piles of stone grew between her visits and then around 3 years ago, she finally caught a glimpse of the person (a boy around the same age as her) who was messing with her tower without her permission. She'd never have guessed he was a prince, let alone the notorious crown prince who drove his mother crazy by challenging his teachers based on books no one else seemed to have read, and picking fights with soldiers and thugs twice his age.

His clothes were covered in so much dust and grime and were so frayed in places that you could no longer guess what color they had been when his mother had lovingly put it on him that morning. His hair was loose and unkempt and the jeweled hair band that was holding together a few strands left of what had once been a ponytail was missing a few stones.

Soel was about to confront him when she noticed a lone tear roll down his cheek as he bent low in prayer. He looked so forlorn and lonely at that moment that all the fight flew right out of her. She had wanted to go sit with him and comfort him but just then Uncle So had come looking for her and the boy had panicked and fled at the sound of the King's voice.

* * *

Soel quickly hid behind a tree as Ju stopped to take in the view of a shower of beautiful white flowers falling gently into the lake. As she continued to follow him stealthily, Soel hoped that Ju would go to the prayer tower again. That would give her an excuse to talk to him.

"You have no idea how difficult it is to get an audience with you, Your Majesty", Soel grumbled in mock anger. Sneaking in on her dad and Ju during their dueling sessions hadn't helped any. Her father would refuse to let her stay and would rush her away without giving her time to say so much as a hi to his favorite student.

That reminded Soel of the second time she had seen Ju. About 2 years ago, she had seen dad having a full-blown sword fight with a scrawny kid, barely a teenager. Her dad was beating him black and blue but the boy refused to give up.

At 12, he could beat most soldiers twice his age but his goal was to beat erstwhile Grand General Jung. He took a moment to wipe the blood dripping down his eyebrows on to his eyes from a cut on his forehead. His hair had come loose and hung limply around his face and on to his shoulders, covered with streaks of red and brown. His shirt was covered in blood and in tatters. His mouth was set in a grim line.

As he took his stance, his head raised, Soel saw the sharp lines of his proud face in profile and read the pain written all over it. The sharp jawline covering the set jaw and grinding teeth, the high cheek bones and the hollow cheeks where some remnants of baby fat should have remained and those eyes like burning embers, filled with anger and resentment. He had pounced with the ferocious grunt of a wild animal and attacked relentlessly. He made no attempt to defend himself and was soon covered with even more cuts and bruises.

Unable and unwilling to watch the thrashing anymore, Soel had called out to her father who came running to lead her away, leaving the boy in a broken pile in the middle of the practice ground. Soel had chastised her father for almost killing the boy and enjoying the fight too much but her father had simply responded that you don't make someone a great warrior by cuddling them. As for killing the boy, he would never do that to a crown prince because he preferred to keep his neck where it was.

* * *

Ju stopped to pick a twig off the ground and twirled it around his fingers as he quickened his pace and Soel hurried to keep him in view. The closest she had come to talking to Ju was in the astronomy tower.

Around a year ago, Uncle So had taken her to the tower to show her Ji Mong's inventions that he had preserved. While Uncle So was going through the books in the 9th floor, lost in his memories, Soel had continued on to the next floor, eager to see the model of the flying machine. That was when she noticed someone sleeping peacefully sitting on the railing of the 10th floor balcony.

His back leaning against the wall, he sat with his legs bent at the knee and feet planted on the railing in front of him. A book lay open on his lap. The position looked so precarious that Soel worried that a strong gust of wind would knock him down 10 stories to the ground below and to his imminent death. Soel was tempted to wake him up and fume about his suicidal tendencies but as she got closer, she was stunned at how peaceful his face looked.

A few strands of stray hair fell in soft curls enveloping his face that looked like it was made of porcelain in the soft glow of the sun. The ends of his hair and his eye lashes caught the sunlight and were shining with a golden glow. The light softened his sharp features and made them look almost warm. The lips that had been in a perpetual snarl in their previous encounter now looked tender as he smiled in his sleep.

His hair was tied up in a neat pony-tail but there were cobwebs sticking to the ends from sneaking around the astronomy tower. Soel was about to reach out and remove the cobwebs when Uncle So had ruined the moment by calling out to her as he came up the stairs. Ju's eyes flew open and the book fell on the balcony with a thud as he slid off the railing in the wrong direction.

Soel screamed in alarm and bent over the railing trying to catch him before he slipped and fell to his death. But he seemed to know what he was doing as he jumped off, landed on the ledge below and climbed into the 9th floor before disappearing from her view. Since that day, every time she was in the palace, Soel looked for ways to sneak out and walk the grounds and every time the astronomy tower came into view, her eyes searched for the lone figure sitting precariously on the balcony railing, his coat swaying in the wind.

Soel hurried forward as Ju took a turn and disappeared behind a row of trees. But by the time she took the turn, he was gone. Soel looked around frantically trying to figure out which way he could have gone. "You" - Soel jumped out of her skin in alarm when she heard the voice. She turned around to see Ju looking at her accusingly as he snarled, "Why are you following me?"

* * *

-END OF CHAPTER-

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts. Pretty please... :-)


	4. Chapter 4-Maybe, You Should Keep Walking

Continued from Chapter 3:

(969 AD, 20th year of Gwangjong's reign)

Soel hurried forward as Ju took a turn and disappeared behind a row of trees. But by the time she took the turn, he was gone. Soel looked around frantically trying to figure out which way he could have gone.

"You" - Soel jumped out of her skin in alarm when she heard the voice. She turned around to see Ju looking at her accusingly as he snarled, "Why are you following me?"

"Who is following you? I was just taking a walk.", Soel blurted out without thinking.

She bit her tongue in frustration the moment the words were out of her mouth. "You chased him halfway around the palace to talk to him and when you finally had the chance, you lied?" the rational part of her screamed inside her brain.

Ju seemed to be equally taken aback by the response. He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something but he was lost for words. They stood there staring at each other for what seemed like ages before Soel gathered the courage to speak.

"How's your arm?" she asked in a low voice, pointing to his left arm where her dad, prince Jung had inadvertently given him a deep cut during their last bout. Blood had sprayed out and she had been terrified at the sight. Jung had rushed to apply pressure while calling for a doctor and the servants had immediately made arrangements to take Ju to the doctor, to be treated.

The question caught Ju off-guard and he stuttered as he subconsciously moved his right hand to cover his left arm. "That was over 2 months ago. It's all healed now." he replied with more defiance than the question warranted.

In another moment however, he recovered and shot right back at her, "But how did you know? Were you spying on me? How long have you been stalking me?"

Soel felt herself shrivel under his intense gaze. "Me? Spy? Why would I spy on you? You think too highly of yourself. Of course, I was not spying on you." Soel protested vehemently before she could get a hold on herself.

Her cheeks turned red as she saw Ju struggling to control a smile, or was that a smirk? "Control yourself. Stop blabbering", she chastised herself in an undertone, steadying herself with her head down, eyes closed, teeth set and fists balled.

Her mind made up on how to respond, she lifted her head up to face Ju with such vehemence that Ju took a step back in surprise. "I was there to see my father. The world doesn't revolve around you just because you are the crown prince."

She finished her speech and lifted her chin up another notch, pleased with herself for recovering so quickly and not ending up as a shivering puddle on the ground under his gaze. But she felt herself deflate the next instant when Ju responded with a quiet, "I see" and turned to walk away.

She tried to think of something to say, anything at all to make him stay a little longer, but she came up empty. She gave a grunt and covered her face with her palm, disappointed and frustrated with herself.

"You, are you done?", Soel uncovered her face to see Ju looking back at her. "Eh?" Soel asked in confusion. Was she done with what? "You said you were out for a walk. Are you done?" Ju asked by way of explanation.

Soel's mind went completely blank as she continued to stare with her eyes and mouth wide open. The person in front of her looked nothing like the snarling, smirking, over-confident crown prince from a moment ago. He had somehow magically transformed into the quiet, diffident, book-worm she saw in the astronomy tower years ago.

"If you are not done…" Ju continued, not getting an answer from Soel, and looking more uncomfortable by the second, "maybe….. you should keep walking". With that, he turned around and started walking away, blushing profusely, eyes closed in embarrassment.

"You should keep walking? Really?" he grumbled to himself as he tried to put as much distance as possible between himself and the source of his embarrassment.

Soel couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Her smile grew wider as the words started sinking in. By the time she gathered her skirt and ran to catch up with him, she was grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you going to the prayer towers?" Soel managed to ask between breaths, as she tried to keep pace with him without tripping on her skirt.

"That pile of stones by the lake? You know about those too?" Ju asked in mock surprise.

"Huh… another smirk…. Doesn't he have any expressions other than glaring and smirking?" Soel grumbled to herself as she rushed forward and positioned herself in front of him blocking his path. "Look here crown prince, those are MY prayer towers. You have no business messing with them without my permission."

Ju folded his hands in front of him as he regarded her curiously, "Yours? How are they yours?".

Soel replicated the move and folded her own hands in front of her as she looked him squarely in the eye and responded, "They are mine because my mother made them."

Ju was dumb-founded for a minute as he took that information in. " _Her mother made them? Was that why his father spent so much time in front of those towers? Were the rumors about the court lady who bewitched princes true or was it the way Uncle Baek Ah recounted it? Did his father love that woman deeply? Is that why he pushed Ju's mother away? Is that why he doesn't spare a thought for his son but spends so much time with this girl every chance he gets?_ "

Ju looked away as his thoughts threatened to overwhelm him. Soel noticed the change in his expression and realized that bringing up her mother was not a smart thing to do. If the rumors she heard in Damiwon were true, then Ju's mother, Queen Yeon Hwa had plotted with Uncle Wook to force Soel's mother out of the palace because of which her mother had died pining in distant Chungju.

There was too much bad blood, betrayal and hatred in their past, from before they were even born. With all of that history, could they even BE friends? Soel was tempted to give up and walk away but when she looked up at the pained expression on the person before her, she decided she had to try. He looked like he could use a friend and she wanted to be that friend.

Soel cleared her throat and continued, "You added 57 stones to my three towers since last winter."

The accusation brought Ju out of his reverie. "You COUNTED the stones? You are strange." He tried to walk around her but she stretched her hand out to block his path.

"You arranged them wrong. It took me hours to rearrange everything", she said in an accusatory tone.

Ju took a moment to look at the girl arguing with him as though they were friends and equals. He had always wished that someone would treat him that way. That someone would let him forget that he was the crown prince and that he carried the future of an entire nation on his shoulders.

But what were her intentions? What did she want from him? Maybe, he should turn around and walk away. That would be the smart thing to do. But what if he were to just play along? Get to know her and find out what scheme she was plotting. Some part of him accused him of lying to himself to spend more time with the girl but he quickly quieted it down. Yes, he will find out what she was up to.

He leaned down towards her forcing her to bend backwards to keep a respectable distance. "It wasn't me. I didn't add those stones", he said with a smile and then walked away while she tried to steady herself.

"Hey, stop right there. I saw you adding those stones", Soel called after him as she grabbed her skirt getting ready to chase him down.

"So you admit that you were spying on me", Ju called back without turning around.

Behind them, on the tree lined path, 14th prince Jung looked on with concern as Soel sprinted up to Ju and they continued along the path, bickering incessantly.

* * *

-END OF CHAPTER-

They make a cute couple, right? Please use the review box to let me know whether you agree.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Best View In The Palace

(969 AD, 20th year of Gwangjong's reign)

"He isn't here either", muttered a disappointed Soel, looking forlornly at her prayer tower. She did a 360 degree turn to confirm her suspicions before moving on. He hadn't been at the astronomy tower or the practice grounds. There was only one other place where she could go looking for him – the leaning tree by the lake close to where Uncle So moored his boat.

Soel said a small prayer and hurried along, hoping he wasn't outside the fort, picking a fight with someone somewhere. It won't be long before dad and Uncle So started wondering where she was.

Soel broke into a smile the moment she caught a glimpse of the leaning tree. There was no doubt in her mind as to who the person sitting on the branch overhanging the lake was. But even as she hurried towards the tree, her smile faded as a question niggled at the back of her mind. "It's been months since we met. Would he remember me? What would he say?"

Reaching the base of the tree, Soel took a deep breath and said brightly, "Hello there". There was no response or reaction as Ju continued to sprinkle fish-feed on the water below and watch the fish rise to the surface to snatch the feed away before it could sink.

Soel waited for a few minutes before taking a step back and considering her options. Making up her mind, she walked to the base of the tree, took a deep breath and sprinted up the trunk, spreading her hands out to maintain her balance, like an acrobat doing a tightrope walk. If she could just make it to the fork where the trunk split into boughs, she could grab on to a branch for support.

She was almost there when she lost her balance. As she struggled to steady herself, the trunk shook under her feet. But as Soel was about to fall, a hand grabbed her and she went crashing down in an arc towards the water below.

The next moment, she was splashing around in panic in thigh high water surrounded by broken branches and twigs, struggling to find her feet. "Stop doing that" said an angry voice and Soel turned around to see Ju brush off the water she had sprayed on his face as he made his way gingerly towards solid ground.

Soel kept her eyes down in embarrassment as she followed him and heaved herself on to the grass. She stood up and surveyed the damage. She was drenched from the waist down and water was dripping from her sleeves and the ends of her hair but the rest of her was relatively dry despite all her splashing.

She stole a glance at the person who bore the brunt of said splashing as he tried to wring some of the water out of his clothes. He was drenched from head to toe and blood was seeping from nicks and cuts on his face and his hand.

"Are you alright?" Soel ventured cautiously.

Ju glared at her as he spat out, "Are you crazy? What were you thinking?"

"I… the trunk… it's sloping…. I thought…" Soel stuttered.

"Have you ever climbed a tree?" Ju demanded as he continued his vain efforts to wring himself dry. Soel shook her head and mouthed "No".

"And you just decided on a whim to run up a tree?" he asked in a tone that was part anger and part wonder at how her thought process worked.

"Hey, I'd have found my balance if you hadn't interfered", Soel raised her voice slightly as she argued.

"Huh…. That's the thanks I get….. I should have let you fall on the ground and break your bones" said Ju with a shake of his head.

Feeling guilty again, Soel looked down at the ground and stayed quiet for about 10 seconds before she glanced back up and said in a barely audible voice, "Thank you". There was no response but she could see that the expression on Ju's face soften considerably.

After a moment's hesitation, she asked tentatively pointing to the branch where Ju had been sitting, "So…. how do we get up there?"

Ju looked at her like she was a new life-form he did not know existed, as he said resolutely, "WE are not getting up there. YOU are going to Damiwon to get something done about THAT", he said pointing to her clothes. But that resolve didn't last very long. Soel pouted sadly and sent a pleading look his way as her eyes welled with tears.

"If I go back now, I might not be able to get away again…. and I'm leaving tomorrow".

He looked up at the tree, wondering, even as he muttered, "Well, you were perfectly happy staying indoors all day yesterday".

"How did you know?" asked Soel, feeling more hopeful. "Were you spying on me?" she added with a sly smile.

"Do you want to get up there or not?" Ju completely ignored her question with one of his own. Soel nodded her head vigorously as she moved to where he pointed near the base of the tree. "Walk slowly this time and try not to slip" Ju said as he offered his hand for support.

When Soel got to the fork where the trunk branched out, Ju told her she can sit now. "But I want to go further out", Soel said pointing to a branch up ahead.

"Do you want to go for a swim again?" Ju asked in a serious tone as he tugged at her hand to get her to sit.

But the next moment, Soel stepped on to a bough, let go of his hand and started making her way towards her chosen branch, grabbing at twigs and higher branches along the way. Ju stared in shock, his heart in his throat until she finally positioned herself near his usual spot and turned around to smile at him.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Ju swung himself up and made his way towards the girl who was merrily swinging her feet. "You really are crazy" said Ju as he sat, "and reckless. This poor tree lost half its twigs and most of its leaves because of you."

"It's autumn. They were going to fall anyway" replied Soel with a smile as she lifted her face up to the sky and shook her head to let her hair sway in the breeze. But the breeze was cold and she was wet and her teeth chattered involuntarily.

Ju removed the sac containing the fish-feed from where he had hung it on the tree, dumped the remaining feed into the lake and tore the sac open. He then placed the cloth on Soel's lap without a word. The cloth wasn't thick enough or long enough to protect her from the cold. Nevertheless, Soel felt warm.

"It's just as I thought. This is the best view in the palace." Soel commented with a contented sigh, "Better than the view from the boat".

"What boat?" Ju asked in surprise.

"That one" and Soel pointed to the small wooden boat tied to a tree trunk nearby. "But then being on the boat is a different experience. It's not so much about the view, right? It's about the way the boat sways and moves placidly along the lake. And it's so much fun to put your fingers on the water surface and let the fish nibble at them, isn't it? Feels kind of ticklish, right?" asked Soel feeling excited, remembering the times when Uncle So had taken her on a boat ride. It was hard for him to find the time but he made it a point to take her as often as he could.

"I wouldn't know" Ju said softly. "That boat belongs to the King. No one else is allowed on it…. Except of course, you", he said, suddenly feeling envious all over again.

"That's because you haven't tried", reasoned Soel. " It's not like your father is going to whip you for taking his boat for a spin."

Ju gave a chuckle as he responded, "Of course not. He will just use it as an excuse to have me executed…. or maybe exiled."

Soel stared at him, dumb-founded at the vehemence of his argument and he turned and looked her squarely in the eye as he spat out, "Don't act surprised. The whole of Goryeo knows that my father hates me. That he's just waiting for the right excuse to get rid of me."

"But he's not" Soel said softly. "He cares about you."

Ju grabbed the branch below him and rose to leave as he said, "I don't have time to listen to your lies".

Soel grabbed his arm and listed out in a rush, "He meets your teachers regularly to find out how you're doing. He feels proud every time they complement you. He avoids the astronomy tower when he knows you're there so you wouldn't have to leave. He worries about you every time you fight my father."

Ju sat back down and looked her in the eye trying to decide whether to believe her or not. "How do you know that he cares? Did he actually say that he cares about me?"

"I know because I see him getting worried every time my father turns up to meet him looking dusty and worn out" replied Soel feeling more confident. "He would ask something like, "Are you still going around picking fights with kids?"", Soel said trying to make her voice sound majestic. "And my father would say something like, "It's your kid who doesn't leave me alone. He challenges me every time he sees me"" continued Soel in a complaining Prince Jung voice. "Then your father will proclaim proudly, "Of course, he does. He is the crown prince of Goryeo. If you want me to save you from the embarrassment of losing to him by re-enforcing your exile, all you need to do is ask"" said Soel in her version of So's sarcastic voice.

She followed that up with her impression of the notorious King Gwangjong smile that implied, "I own you now and there's nothing you can do about it". Of course, she failed miserably, with her eyes scrunched up and her smile crooked in an expression that conveyed more pain than pleasure.

Ju burst out laughing and asked, "What kind of an expression is that? Did Uncle Jung punch him in the gut?"

"Ha…. Fine… Keep laughing…. I'm not telling you any more" said Soel pouting.

Ju quieted down with effort, his lips quivering with suppressed laughter as he looked at her hopefully and asked, "And what happened next?"

"You laughed at me" came the sullen response.

"I'm sorry. I won't laugh again", the words were out of his mouth before Ju realized what he had just done. He couldn't remember the last time he had apologized to anyone.

No one ever blamed him for anything he did and a crown prince tendering an apology was considered a sign of weakness. Ju was alarmed that he had not stopped to consider any of that before apologizing to Soel. The words had come so naturally, a little too easily.

Ju quickly stood and made his way down from his perch. Soel followed him down, not sure what had caused the sudden change in his demeanor. He gave her a hand and helped her down but refused to meet her eyes.

They walked quietly side by side while Soel wondered what she could do to resolve the situation. As they passed the boat, she exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement, "I will tell you more stories from the palace if you take me on a boat ride."

Getting no response to her proposition, she persisted, grabbing at his sleeves, "Please… If Uncle So asks, you can tell him that it was my idea".

"Stop grabbing my sleeves with your dirty hands" Ju protested.

"My hands are not dirty" Soel shot back, making another grab for his sleeve. "Don't do that" warned Ju as he moved his hand away.

As he did, Soel noticed the cut on his arm and that reminded her why she was so desperate to meet him that day. "Oh, I almost forgot", she said as she grabbed a string tied around her neck and pulled out an ornate pouch hidden under her clothes.

"Here you go" she said untying it and holding it out to Ju, "Happy birthday in advance. It's unlikely I'll be back before the season changes, so I thought I will let you have your gift early. "

"You want me to carry around a gaudy pouch?", scoffed Ju even as he took the pouch from her. "You put dried twigs inside this?" he asked, opening the pouch and peering inside.

"Those are not twigs. They are barks. Lady Kim at Damiwon said that if you chew them and then place them on fresh cuts, it will stop the bleeding. If you get injured in a fight, that will give you some relief until you get to a doctor. It should work for most wounds, even deep gashes", she explained as Ju fingered the barks, taken aback by the gesture.

Soel looked up then and noticed the setting sun. "Oh no, I'm late. They must be looking for me all over the palace". With that, she tore off in a hurry, not giving Ju a chance to speak. He stood there rooted to the spot for a long time before he looked down at the pouch in his hand and smiled, "Thank you".

* * *

-END OF CHAPTER-

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6 - It's Lonely At The Top

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

"Soel, are you in here?" asked a familiar voice softly. Soel lifted her head up and opened her mouth to respond but a flurry of sobs threatened to overwhelm her.

How long had it been since she found refuge in this remote corner of the library behind the book shelves? She was cooped up against the wall, her arms wound tightly around her bent legs and her head buried between her knees. The self-imposed numbness wore away at the sound of the voice and Soel was once again assailed by the memory she had been trying to block.

The memory of sneaking around the palace and witnessing a scene that she was never meant to see. Of people – young and old, men and women – tied to blocks, struggling against the bonds on their hands and feet. Of feeling equal parts awe and horror as over 50 swords came swinging down in unison in practiced synchrony, as the grunts of the executioners mixed with the swelling shrieks of the terrified victims like a morbid symphony reaching its crescendo.

Then, the silence - the deafening silence broken only by the sound of blood spraying, then gurgling and then gushing out of limp torsos, seeping into the snow and spreading rapidly on all sides. The blood seemed to have a life of its own, moving organically, merging together at places and leaving patches of white at others.

For someone watching from a distance who didn't know what had transpired there, the blood soaked snow would have looked like an eerie painting.

Soel had covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from screaming hysterically and ran with all her might to escape the horror, looking for some place, any place where she could be alone. Since reaching her hide-out, she had gone through a cycle of anguish. It started with revulsion for what she had witnessed followed by embarrassment for being a coward. She grieved for the dead and soon after felt ashamed of grieving for traitors while at the same time feeling horrified at being ashamed of her own compassion.

Struggling to banish the memories from her thoughts, Soel tried to stand up and grabbed a book shelf to steady herself. The movement sent a cluster of books crashing to the floor. Dust rose from the ground and from the books that fell to the ground.

Crown prince Ju came around to investigate the crash and sighed in relief when he saw her. "What have you been doing here? Uncle Jung is turning the palace upside down looking for you. Let's go", he said as he strode down towards her.

Soel's voice trembled as she shook her head in panic and Ju was startled to see tears well up in her red and swollen eyes. Her hair was disheveled and her entire face was tear-stained with brown lines in places where dust had settled on the tear tracks. Soel covered her face in desperation as she sank back to the floor.

Ju watched in stunned silence as she hugged her knees and rested her forehead on her knees, her shoulders shaking with her silent sobs. He sat down on the floor next to her and asked gently, "What happened?"

It took a while for Soel to compose herself enough to convey in bits and pieces that she had witnessed the latest in the series of purges ordered by the King, to execute noblemen and their families accused of treason. Ju listened patiently and patted her gently on her back as she struggled to put her emotions into words.

"I'm not sure how I should feel when the King – my father – is committing mass-murder. Should I be horrified at the loss of so many lives or as someone with the blood of the King flowing through my veins, should I be strong enough to take this in my stride and walk away without making a fuss? A princess shouldn't be flipping out over the death of traitors, right? But here I am, cowering in a corner, a sobbing, whimpering mess. At the same time, is it so wrong to mourn the loss of all those lives, snuffed out in an instant - their futures, their dreams, their joys, their tears, all wiped out in that one moment, lost forever?"

Soel looked at Ju with pleading eyes, hoping that he could tell her what to do. Ju wrapped his arm around her back and drew her close as he said softly, "It's okay. It's alright. You'll get through this." Soel relaxed her hands that were wound tightly around her knees and rested her head against his shoulder, seeking comfort in his words, hoping that things could go back to the way they were, that she could go back to the way she was.

"I've been hiding here because I dread running into Uncle So", Soel confessed. "I'm afraid that when I look at him, I will see swinging swords covered in blood and hear heartrending screams; that I will never be able to laugh with him or share a joke with him without feeling pangs of guilt for snatching away the joys and dreams of so many others to build our own. More than anything else, I'm terrified that, in my panic, I might say or do something that will hurt him deeply."

Soel's words stirred memories that Ju had buried deep inside, ones that he did not like to think about, much less talk about. "I was around 5 years old when all of this started" he said as he leaned his head against the wall. "Back then, I didn't really know much about what was happening or who was dying and why. I remember that my mother looked worried. She was tying up my hair but her hands were trembling so much that she couldn't get it right no matter how many times she tried. That was when dad came storming in, sword in hand and demanded to know whether mom had been in cohorts with the traitors. He accused her of wanting to get rid of him and put me on the throne. I hid behind my mother and peeked out, wary of the sword that he held, ready to strike without a moment's notice. My most terrifying memory of that day though is not the sword. It's his eyes – cold, ruthless, vigilant - watching my mother's every move, scrutinizing her every word, judging her on the spot and deciding our fate – hers and mine", he recounted with a faraway look in his eyes.

Soel sat up straight and turned to face Ju. "I could see it in his eyes - that if my mother said one wrong word or made one wrong move, he'd slash us down without hesitation. But my mother didn't flinch. She stood tall and spoke calmly, rationally, about how she couldn't hurt her husband and even if she could, it wouldn't be in her interest to get rid of him when her son was not even old enough to rule."

A lone tear escaped from the corner of his eye and he quickly sat up and turned his face away to hide it. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, he continued, "Anyway, it was a long time ago. What I was trying to say was that, I got through it and so will you."

"But you still avoid your father", Soel pointed out.

"But you are different. You will find a way to reach out to him", he assured her. As she continued to look unsure, he took her hands in his and said with a smile, "But there is something else you need to do first. You need to go find Uncle Jung and let him know you are alright."

As Soel's eyes widened in panic again, Ju squeezed her hands and continued, "Just tell him that you are not feeling well and want to sleep early." He stood up and pulled her up with him. "Then go to your room, lock the door, sneak out and meet met near the west gate."

"Eh?" asked Soel in shock. "Wear something warm…. The warmest clothes you have…" With that he let go of her hand and walked away with a smile without waiting for a response. But half-way to the door, he turned around and instructed a dazed Soel, "By the way, clean up your face before you meet anyone. It's getting dark outside and…. let's not overwork the grim reapers any more today."

* * *

-END OF CHAPTER-

What do you think? Lemme know using the review box.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Fire To Light Your Path

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

"You need to go find Uncle Jung and let him know you are alright." As Soel's eyes widened in panic again, Ju squeezed her hands and continued, "Just tell him that you are not feeling well and want to sleep early." He stood up and pulled her up with him. "Then go to your room, lock the door, sneak out and meet me near the west gate." "Eh?" asked Soel in shock. "Wear something warm…. The warmest clothes you have…"

With that he let go of her hand and walked away with a smile without waiting for a response. But half-way to the door, he turned around and instructed a dazed Soel, "By the way, clean up your face before you meet anyone. It's getting dark outside and…. let's not overwork the grim reapers any more today." And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Soel made her way towards the west gate with the moonlight guiding her path and realized very quickly that she was like a fish out of water. She had a lot of experience in sneaking away from where she was supposed to be, and going where she was not supposed to go. It was easy enough to do during the day. All she had to do was not be noticeable and walk confidently as though she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

But sneaking out at night was a completely different ball game and she realized that she'd need a completely different approach. She stood out like a sore thumb at night when only soldiers and maids in uniform were up and about. No amount of confidence was going to convince a soldier that she had business roaming around in a bright white fur coat like a ghost at night. So she hid behind pillars and trees and ran from cover to cover with her back bent, looking and feeling ridiculous, as she wondered just how Ju does it.

As the west gate, with the large number of soldiers guarding it, came into view, Soel started freaking out and wondered whether it had been a very bad idea to listen to the errant crown prince. Was he actually serious? Would he even show up? How was she supposed to find him? Where should she wait? Somehow, walking up to the guards at the gate and chit-chatting with them while sharing a drink around a bonfire until Ju showed up didn't seem like the best approach. That was when she heard a low whistle from atop a tree nearby.

Huh…. of course….. that's how he does it. He probably doesn't set foot on the ground at all when he sneaks out at night. She could picture him running along the roof tops in his black cloak and jumping from tree to tree. In a fit of envy, Soel resolved that she would find a way to learn how to climb, unladylike or not.

She walked over just as Ju dropped down from one of the branches and landed on his hands and feet. "How good are you at scaling walls?" he said pointing to the fort wall that separated the inner city from the outer city. The question caught Soel off-guard but she recovered quickly. She had anticipated that a night out with Ju would involve at least a little climbing. She would be lucky if it did not involve a full-fledged fight with masked assassins while running along rooftops and displaying elaborate martial arts moves.

Under her winter coat, she had wisely chosen to wear the practice gear that she usually wore during her morning exercises and when practicing with dad. But unfortunately, her dress did not magically give her the power to climb over fort walls. "Not without support", she admitted. "But if you have a rope…."

"You can climb with a rope?" Ju asked in surprise. "That's a relief…. You're not as useless as I thought" he noted as he walked away from an infuriated Soel. "We'll need to make a pit-stop on our way then" he said casually as Soel bit back a retort that was at the tip of her tongue.

Soon, they came to a dilapidated storage shed where the roof had fallen in at places and the outer wall was broken on one side. Ju bent down in front of the door, lifted a loose stone on the threshold and pocketed something. Then he headed to the most damaged section of the outer wall where what remained of the wall was only shoulder high.

"Always with the climbing…. Even when there is a perfectly good… well, slightly worn out…. door right here", Soel muttered to herself as she put her hand on the knob. "Nooooo", Ju screamed. "Are you trying to bring down the whole building? Can't you see that door is what's holding up that section of the roof?" Soel withdrew her hand in panic and walked over to him, looking subdued, while muttering under her breath about how visually calculating the load sharing among the walls of dilapidated buildings was not one of her specialties.

Ju lifted her on to the wall and Soel jumped into a dark room full of dust and cob-webs, littered with rotting wood, metal splinters and all sorts of junk. The place had a musty, uninviting smell. She could only see the part of the room that was illuminated by the light coming in through the broken section of the wall and the missing roof. The rest of the room was swathed in darkness and from within the darkness ominous looking shadows peered out.

"Follow me and watch your step. There's a whole lot of stuff here that you don't want to step on from rusted metal to snakes. I would hate to be the one explaining to Uncle Jung why you turned up dead." If the purpose of the warning had been to scare the hell out of Soel, it worked. She considered staying put where she was as Ju started moving towards the darkness. But the fear of being alone and the unwillingness to acknowledge that she was scared drove Soel to follow him.

After a few steps, Soel struggled to keep up as she couldn't see Ju anymore though he had to be somewhere right in front of her. Darkness enveloped her and she was about to panic when a sliver of faint light appeared before her. By some magic, or maybe just a whole lot of practice, Ju had opened a door in the far wall and stepped into a room illuminated by the moonlight coming in through a broken part of the roof.

At the threshold, Soel stopped to marvel at something white and crystalline shimmering in various hues right below the broken roof. As her eyes became more accustomed to the dim light, she realized that the moon light was being reflected off the snow gathered on a metal sheet suspended below the broken roof. The edges of the sheet were bent upwards and it sloped away towards a dark corner of the room and Soel realized that it was a drainage system for the rain and snow falling into the room through the broken part of the roof.

She turned to see Ju pulling a rope out of a large wooden box placed on a raised platform. He was about to close the lid with a "Let's go" when Soel showed up beside him and grabbed the lid to peer inside the box.

"Is this your treasure chest? What else do you have in there?" Before Ju had a chance to reply, she bent in and pulled out a cross-bow. "Cool…. Do you also have some arrows that go with this?" With that, she let go of the lid to lean back in and rummaged inside the box as Ju grabbed the lid before it came crashing down on her back. "Here it is", she surfaced with a quiver of arrows. "You are definitely partial to swords, aren't you? You have quite a selection there." She wore the quiver on her back before turning around with a cheery "Let's go".

Ju was too stumped to come up with a snarky comment as they retraced their steps back to the low wall. As he returned the key to his treasure box under the loose stone, he remarked, "You do realize that what you are holding is a crossbow, right?"

"We need a way to get the rope to the top of the wall", Soel retorted. Ju raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You do know that the fort wall is made of stone, right?" he said in a patronizing tone. "But the parapet is made of wood, right?" Soel responded, mimicking his tone.

They stood a few feet away from a portion of the wall that was not patrolled frequently, hidden under a tree. Soel checked the weight of the rope again and adjusted the tension on the string. As she moved forward and took aim, Ju aked cautiously, "Are you sure about this?" Soel ignored him and released the arrow.

She looked around to check that no one heard the sound of the release as the arrow flew up, pulling the rope along and found its mark on the lowest rung of the parapet. With a triumphant smile, Soel moved quickly to the base of the wall and reached for the end of the rope. But Ju beat her to it. He tested the rope, pulling on it, climbing a little and swinging lightly. "That's quite impressive".

Before the words could sink in, he walked away from the wall saying, "I will see you at the top". He stopped a few feet away from the wall, took his stance and ran. Soel watched in stunned silence as he used the momentum to propel himself up and forward and began a graceful ascend, propelling himself off of the jagged stones along the way.

* * *

As they continued to trudge up the hill outside the fort, Soel asked for the hundredth time, "How much longer?"

Ju had stopped responding right around the 30th time. He was dragging along a wooden box that he had retrieved from atop a tree at the base of the hill. At long last, they reached the top of the hill and Ju plunked the box down on the snow and gestured to Soel, "Get on".

"On this?" Soel raised her eyebrows partly surprised and partly suspicious. "What for?"

"So I can bury you in the snow" Ju responded without missing a beat. Soel eyed the box that was about 3 feet by 1.5 feet and around a foot deep, standing on two narrow strips of wood running along the entire length of the box. "This box is not big enough to hold me" she remarked as she got into it and sat down gingerly with her legs stretched out in front of her.

"See, it's big enough. Now, hold on to the sides" Ju walked around the box and stood behind her.

"But it isn't deep enough… and you don't have a….aaaahhhhhhh" Before she could finish her sentence, Ju gave the box a shove.

As the sled sped down the slope, Soel screamed at the top of her voice and held on for dear life. Just as she realized that she could navigate the box by leaning to the sides, a mound of snow loomed large in front of her. Soel panicked and leaned so much to a side that she was almost hanging out of the sled but it was too little too late. The sled hit the mound at a slight angle and the impact threw Soel off of the sled.

Soel tried to push herself up but her hands sank into the snow and she was beginning to suffocate. With effort, she rolled off the mound. She was on her knees, coughing and sneezing to get the snow out of her mouth and nose when Ju showed up.

"How did you like it?"

"Are you trying to kill me?" Soel sputtered.

"What? It was a small, gentle slope with no obstructions and I even made a mound in advance to break your ride." Ju protested as he turned the box around and shook off the snow. "Were you scared?" he inquired with his trademark smirk.

"No… of course not. It's just that…. you didn't give me any warning." Soel countered, shaking her head to get the snow off of her hair and to keep her face from freezing. Ju helped her back to her feet and she followed him in silence, brushing the snow off her coat, as he headed back up the hill.

When she got to the top, she found Ju lying on his back, his hands folded over his chest, looking at the stars. Soel sat down beside him and looked up. The sky had cleared up and the stars looked beautiful in the dark sky.

"I liked it. Takes a little getting used to, but it was fun", she acknowledged. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a smile forming around Ju's lips and before she knew it, it spread to hers as she leaned back and watched the lights that defined the city stretched out far below – the large flames from the palace towers and small flickering lights spread out around the outer city.

Ju sat up and followed her line of sight. "Those small flames you see, those are community gatherings where people get together around a fire to stay warm and share a meal or a drink. Those gatherings are a lot of fun. You get to hear the latest gossip around town. You can also join them in leveling the choicest abuse against the nobles. Surprisingly, they don't usually curse the King even though they are terrified of him…... Maybe, **because** they are terrified of him." Ju stopped to wonder.

"You mean you have been there? No way….. Why would they let you join? You don't belong there…." Soel's eyes were narrowed in suspicion but her voice sounded more curious than disbelieving.

"I do belong – I ensure that I dress like them, I look like them and I even talk like them. But more importantly, anyone with some food or drink to spare is always welcome in those groups. Even on days when I have nothing to offer, some groups would still let me join. They would just assume that I'm one of the wretched folks wandering into Songak every day, looking for employment and a way to survive. The most fun I've had though is when I went with Uncle Baek Ah. People fall over each other to invite him to join, give him the warmest spot to sit on and the best of the food and drink they have, just to hear him sing." His expression changed as he said wistfully, "If I could sing like him, if I weren't the crown prince, that's the kind of life I'd want to lead. Travel all over the world, meet all sorts of people and hear their stories and sing those stories in songs that people would gather to hear…" Ju sighed.

"Hey, you get to go where ever you please within Songak and you get to hear the stories and songs of the people coming in from all over Goryeo. You should look around you at those less fortunate before sighing and acting like a victim" Soel said pointing to herself.

"It's your own fault. You can't even scale a wall without a rope."

"No, it's not. No one would teach me. They just go tsk-tsk and tell me that it's not lady-like to scale walls and climb trees. You have no idea how hard it was to get Dad to teach me rope climbing." Soel responded with a huff.

"I could teach you" Ju said off-handedly, staring intently at the city.

"Would you?" Soel asked, suddenly excited.

"But not for free" he added resolutely.

Soel's excitement ebbed as she tried hard to think of something she could offer. But what could she offer the future King of Goryeo? "What do you want?" she asked tentatively.

"Will you give me whatever I want?" Ju asked with a sidelong glance, a sly smile forming around his mouth.

"Yes…. if it's within my power to give", Soel replied cautiously.

"Good… then I'll come up with a plan. We'll need a place to practice with a sturdy wall and not too many people around", he mused. "When you are in the palace next, go to the library. You remember the corner where you were sobbing this morning, right? I will leave a note for you in the last book on the lowest rung in that corner. No one reads those books, so it should be safe."

With that he got up, shook off the snow and proceeded to position the sled for the journey back to the the city. "Up for a longer ride? If you are scared, you can just walk all the way down. I will wait for you at the base."

Soel looked down the slope which was a lot steeper than the one she rode down on the other side of the hill. It was also littered with trees and boulders along the way. Would she be able to navigate well enough to avoid those and get to the base in one piece? She gulped at the thought of banging against a tree or taking off into the sky off of a boulder but she just couldn't bring herself to give up. So she got on the sled, grabbed the sides so tightly that he knuckles went white and waited with bated breath for the descent to begin.

But instead, Ju came up to the side and said, "Scoot."

"What?"

Without giving any explanation, he released her grip off of one side, pushed her towards the other end and climbed in to join her. It was a tight fit and Soel could feel her cheeks turn red. Ju seemed completely focused on the task at hand as he thrust a sturdy piece of wood into the snow at an angle and pushed against it to set the sled into motion. Then reached around her to grip the far side of the sled and leaned from side to side to guide it down the hill.

Soel felt blood rushing to her face and butterflies forming in her stomach as the sled raced down the steep slope. She screamed in terror and grabbed Ju's coat as they headed straight for a tree before veering away at the last moment. By the time the sled swerved a full 90 degrees at the base of the hill and screeched to a halt against a strategically placed mound of snow, Soel was hanging on to Ju's coat with both hands, her face buried in its warmth, eyes tightly shut and lips uttering a prayer. She peeked out of her hiding place to check why they had stopped moving and was startled to hear a voice up close, "That was fun, wasn't it?"

Soel quickly let go of the coat and struggled to get off. Once outside, she sank to her knees and closed her eyes as she waited for her heart to stop racing. Ju busied himself with securing the box in its hiding place atop the tree.

When Soel finally glanced up, she found him standing by her side, waiting for her reaction, a look of concern on his face. "It was terrifying while it lasted. But now that it's over, I want to do it again", Soel finally confessed as she tried to stand.

Ju smiled from ear to ear as he offered his hand to help her up. "It's the rush that comes from conquering your fears, facing danger head-on and overcoming it", he explained as he helped her up. "It helps you forget all your troubles. It's the best medicine when you need to get away from all the death and gore that surrounds the palace."

He regretted the words almost as soon as they were out of his mouth. Soel's face turned white. She closed her eyes and winced as the image of decapitated bodies lying in a pool of red snow flashed through her memory and a shiver ran down her spine.

Ju put his arms around her to steady her. It took a moment for Soel to collect herself. She shook her head to dismiss the memory and focused on the flames atop the palace in the distance. She filled her mind with pleasant images – the prayer tower that her mother built, her dad practicing with his sword, boat rides with Uncle So, feeding the fish in Lake Dongji with Ju. She then pictured the people gossiping around a community fire, free to share what little they had, free to curse the nobles who overworked and underpaid them, free because they were no longer slaves, because the King freed slaves - at least some of them, at least those that had been wrongly enslaved. In that moment, Soel realized that she was not alone. She was surrounded by those who cared for her, protected her and depended on her.

"I'm fine. Let's go", she said. They were about half-way to the palace when she noticed that they were walking hand-in-hand. She glanced at Ju, striding along purposefully, eyes straight ahead, the rope coiled around a shoulder, holding the crossbow and the arrows on one hand and seemingly unaware of what he held on the other hand. She smiled as her strides became more purposeful and she headed for the palace with the resolve to face all her fears head-on.

* * *

More fluff after a little angst. Lemme me know which one you prefer - the fluff or the angst - Review please... :-)


	8. Chapter 8 - Together We Can

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

Soel stood in front of the locked door unsure what to do. Uncle So's chief eunuch stood between her and the closed door, blocking her way. Her pleading eyes that usually worked with all men and most women seemed to have no impact on him. Soel had tried everything – she'd given him a whole lot of arguments on why he should let her in immediately to avoid a catastrophe but neither her logic nor her hyperbole had worked on him. Then she had tried pleading but that hadn't worked either. He just repeated the same words over and over again in his exasperatingly monotonous voice – the King had retired to his chambers to rest and could not be disturbed until morning.

As Soel turned away from the door dejected, she could see the eunuch relax visibly from the corner of her eye. The next instant however, Soel whipped around. The eunuch stretched out his arms instinctively but in the blink of an eye, Soel slid under one of his outstretched arms and burst into the room.

The King looked up from where he was reading a book to see his daughter crashing into the room, taking refuge behind a table and threatening to throw a vase at the guards who tumbled in hot on her heels. King Gwangjong was on his feet in a flash. The guards and the eunuch quickly fell to their knees and begged his pardon for their grave error.

Soel turned around and just gave him her most winning smile as she said, "Uhm… seeing as you are awake, your highness…. can we talk?"

His eyes were fixed on Soel even as he shooed off the rest of the party, warning them not to let anyone else into his room. Soel fixed her gaze on the floor and tried to gather her thoughts while the men hurried out and closed the door behind them. Now that she had crossed the insurmountable barrier and found herself in the King's presence, she was not exactly sure what she wanted to say.

She looked up to see him standing right in front of her, a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

Soel was surprised at the urgency and earnestness behind the question. Did he know? How did he know? "Jung said that you witnessed the execution this morning and you were traumatized by it. He said your eyes were red and swollen from crying and you looked ashen, that you hid yourself all day and begged to be allowed to retire to bed early."

The words rushed out of his mouth as he struggled to control himself, looking into her eyes for reassurance. But as she heard those words, the horrific memory that she had kept suppressed, rushed into to her mind with a vengeance. Soel shut her eyes tight to banish the memory.

"Do you…. hate me?"

The question took her by surprise. The soft, subdued, almost pleading voice was so unlike the usual majestic tone of the fearsome King or the deep, playful voice of her Uncle So. She looked up at the person standing before her, waiting for her response, willing her to forgive him with every fiber of his being. That person was not King Gwangjong. He was Wang So, the prince who had yearned for love all his life, who had relentlessly pursued it in every form - love, friendship and brotherhood - only to be abandoned over and over again by everyone he ever cared about.

Soel reached out to wipe away his tears as she insisted, "Never….. I will never hate you".

He smiled as he moved forward and took her hands in his. "Jung said that if you were to fall sick, he would never bring you back to the palace again. He said he would rather be exiled than bring his daughter into this hell to suffer like that. I was so worried….. I wanted to come and see you, to talk to you….. but I was scared…. that you hated me…. that you would refuse to see me….. that if you did see me, you would get more agitated and fall sick. I was scared that I would lose you too." He continued to smile valiantly even as tears streamed down his face.

Soel bit her lips to keep the pain in her heart from taking over her entire being, to stop herself from crying out loud and to hold it all in so that she could focus. She had to be strong. She was not the one who needed comforting. She released her hands from his grip and stepped forward. "You'll never lose me. Not even if you tried" she said as she embraced her father.

They spent much of the night talking. Soel started off by reminiscing about the happy times that they spent together, gazing at stars, riding the boat or just walking by the lake. Then she told him about her life in Chungju and about all the scrapes that she routinely got into. Wang So laughed heartily when he heard about the pranks she pulled and told her that she was just like her wanted to hear stories about her mother and so he told her.

He recounted stories about her mother and all the other princes who had lived in the palace years ago, in what felt like a different lifetime. Some of the stories were funny like the one about her mother beating Uncle Eun black and blue. Soel laughed out loud even as she wished that things had turned out differently. If only Uncle Eun and Aunt Soon Doek had managed to flee the capital, maybe she could have met them; maybe they could have raced toy boats in the Damiwon pool; maybe Uncle Eun would have taught her how to use a slingshot and Aunt Soon Doek would have taught her how to fight.

Some stories were romantic and heart-warming. Soel listened with starry eyes, the story of how Wang So rescued a beautiful girl from certain death by sweeping her off her feet and on to his horse and how she chased him down demanding an apology for throwing her off the horse like a sack of potatoes right after the rescue.

But there were others that were heart wrenching. When Wang So spoke about Hae Soo's struggles, how she was tortured in prison, how she knelt in the rain on her broken legs to plead for an innocent life, how she suffered as a water maid ridiculed by those around her and protected by none, and about how he missed her in the years they were apart, neither of them could stop their tears. So they cried shamelessly as they held on to each other and remembered the person they both missed.

At long last, they addressed the elephant in the room. They talked about all the people who had died over the years and continued to die every day in the fight for the throne. King Gwangjong tried to explain as best as he could why he had to kill some of his subjects to keep the peace for all the others and Soel was eager to understand. Yet a consensus was not easy to find when her youthful optimism clashed with his cynical realism. She knew very little about the politics and power struggles that permeated every inch of the capital and there was so much he could not share with her without putting her in danger.

But even in midst of their most heated arguments, Soel made it very clear that she wouldn't give up. She would continue to ask questions and she would continue to argue. She would persist in her quest until she understood him fully or forced him to change, even if it took forever. "You'll have to exile me to stop me", she said with a smile.

It was almost daybreak when Soel finally lay down to sleep with her head on her father's lap as he told her fairy tales of princes and princesses who lived happily ever after, with a smile on her lips and hope in her heart.

* * *

Finally, Wang So is back. I've always wanted to have a scene where someone understands Gwangjong and tells him they'll stand by him, challenge him and be with him, no matter what. How did you like it? Please lemme know.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Games They Play

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

Ju hoped that this was not about his mother's health. She had been sick more often than not over the past year but she had been feeling better recently. As he rushed towards the Queen's chambers, he racked his brains trying to remember whether there had been any hint that she was feeling sick or tired or worried when he met her for lunch the previous day. After all, she wouldn't summon him to her chambers early in the morning without good reason. So when he stepped into the room calling out "Ommoni" in a concerned voice, he was surprised to see her all dressed up and smiling brightly.

It took a moment for Ju to recover his composure but his mother's sweet smile told him exactly why he was there. Queen Daemok sported that mesmerizingly beautiful yet strong and regal, extremely pleasant but completely fake smile only for very important occasions. The smile told him that he would shortly witness and possibly participate in some very important political maneuvering.

"Ju, there you are. Pay your respects to the new Vice King. Your father is planning to make the announcement today during the festival but we should congratulate him early", his mother said in an excessively sweet voice.

He looked around to see who her unsuspecting victim was and was surprised once again to see Uncle Jung. Ju smiled as he bowed to his uncle, noticing that even as Uncle Jung tried to give off a social gathering vibe, attempting to look like a carefree brother just having an informal tea with his beloved nooyi, his eyes expressed some misgivings.

"Uncle Jung is learning. He's not as naïve as he used to be", Ju thought to himself as he took a seat at the table.

Queen Daemok poured him a cup of tea while she addressed Jung. "I also wanted to thank you for training our Ju. Did you hear that he won the tournament during Hangawi this year? That's two years in a row that he has won", said the queen, her face shining with pride. "You are the only one who has a better record than him. Didn't you win three times in a row before you went off to the borders to fight the Khitan?"

The queen's words reminded Jung of a different time and a different world - a simpler world. He smiled at the memory.

Watching Jung laugh and chat unreservedly about the times when he and the queen had grown up in the palace together, Ju revised his opinion - "And yet, he has a long way to go." Uncle Jung might have learned to be cautious but he had still fallen for the queen's tactic of lulling her victims into a false sense of complacency before going for the kill.

It was a good half an hour before the queen casually asked, "Why didn't you bring your daughter along? I've wanted to see her for a long time."

The smile disappeared from Jung's face as he quickly mumbled something about his daughter always hanging out at Damiwon and about the King keeping him very busy during his visits to the palace.

"You make me look bad. My niece visits the palace so often. As the queen, I should have tea with her and make her feel welcome. How can I do that when you keep her hidden from me? What would your wife think?"

The topic of discussion worried Ju even as he focused on keeping his expression neutral. He knew perfectly well that his mother was not yearning with an intense desire to meet and have tea with Soel. Far from it, she even avoided thoughts of the girl because she reminded her of the woman she hated. So what was his mother trying to do?

"By the way, WHY does my niece visit the palace so often? And the two of you spend so much time with the King. Over the years, you seem to have become very close to him. I remember that you despised him so much that you didn't even attend my wedding even though I invited you. And look at you now. You make so many trips to the capital that you might as well leave Chungju and move here for good. Now, tell me what is actually going on. You won't keep your nooyi in the dark, would you?", Queen Daemok asked with a mischievous grin.

Jung shifted in his seat and forced a smile. But the beads of sweat forming on his forehead exposed his discomfort. "Come on, nooyi. You know there is nothing going on", Jung said with a laugh that sounded hollow.

Ju knew that Jung had no way out. His mother could smell the fear and unease emanating from his uncle and she would keep pushing until she got what she wanted. "Really? You mean, you are not planning on making our Soel the next queen of Goryeo?", Queen Daemok continued in the same teasing tone but now there was a slight undertone of menace in her voice that neither men missed.

Jung felt a shiver run through his spine as he quickly countered, his voice a notch louder than before, his tone deadly serious and his face completely losing the façade of geniality, "No, my daughter will never become the queen of Goryeo. She will not marry the crown prince nor will she ever live in this palace." Jung's gaze turned to Ju as he insisted in a defiant tone, "I will never allow it".

Ju felt anger rise within him as he locked eyes with his Uncle. His grip on his cup tightened as the words escaped him, filled with fury, "Why? What's wrong with marrying the crown prince?"

He regretted his outburst almost immediately when his mother interjected with a pleasant laugh. "Don't take his words to heart, Ju. Your uncle is not belittling you." Ju averted his eyes and tightened his grip on his cup further to keep his hands from shaking, as he struggled to control his rage.

"Of course not", Jung agreed hastily.

Queen Daemok tilted her head slightly as she added in the same teasing tone, "I wonder if he's rejecting you because he has some other prince in mind for his daughter." This time, the menace in her eyes and the threat in her voice were unmistakable despite the smile gracing her red lips. She locked eyes with Jung, daring him to look away.

Ju's eyes opened wide as the meaning of her words sunk in. He realized that this confrontation had very little to do with Jung or even Soel. This was his mother foiling the ambitions of his grandmother, Queen Sinjeong, who wished to make Wang Chi the next King of Goryeo. Queen Daemok was nipping in the bud any plans that the Yoo clan and the Hwangbo clan may have to join hands in matrimony because such an alliance would weaken Ju's position when the time comes for his ascension to the throne.

Ju felt his chest tighten. He was surprised at his own reaction as he struggled to register his mother's voice while she continued stalking her prey. There was no reason to panic. His mother had it under control. The result of this staring contest was a foregone conclusion even before it started. When pitted against his mother in a battle of nerves, few could survive, let alone win, and Uncle Jung was certainly not one of them.

"No, it isn't… she isn't… I'm not ready to marry her off yet", Jung stammered as he looked away.

"I was just joking." Queen Daemok's voice was again saccharine sweet now that she had made her point.

Jung slowly let out his breath even as he seemed to be engrossed in the contents of his tea cup.

"Now that you brought up the subject of marriage, you know, I was thinking it's time to marry off my eldest daughter. Your son is around the same age as her, isn't he?" Jung looked up in surprise, the tea cup and its contents completely forgotten. "Now that I think about it, they would be a perfect match", the queen continued, apparently surprised at the completely unexpected revelation.

"Someday, your son will take over from you as the head of the Yoo clan and would be a great source of strength for our Ju who will take over from his father as the Emperor of Goryeo. When the baton passes to the next generation, I hope they will be as close as true brothers just like you and the King. Wouldn't it be great if they were also in-laws? This marriage feels destined, doesn't it? I'm surprised you didn't bring this up before", she continued, brimming with excitement.

"But, the King….", Jung recovered from the shock sufficiently to realize that the person with the biggest say in this particular marriage or any royal marriage for that matter, was not part of the current conversation. "Of course, you must talk to the King when you meet him. I will also let him know that I completely agree with you that this is a marriage that the Gods have willed. I'm sure his majesty won't have any objections. After all, who can be a better groom for the first princess of Goryeo than the future head of the great Yoo clan of Chungju? They are perfect for each other, the country would be more stable and our relationship would be stronger than ever."

Jung opened and closed his mouth multiple times looking for the right words to say before giving up and just saying "Yes". He got up wearily and said something incoherent about some urgent business he needed to attend to.

As Jung bowed low and left the room, Ju turned to face his mother. She now wore a triumphant smile even as she looked thoughtful and Ju knew that she was already planning her next move. He smiled indulgently as he asked after her health and warned her not to exert herself too much.

When he bid her goodbye and walked out onto the palace grounds, his chest still felt heavy and he was surprised at how uneasy he felt. His mother had just secured his position with the strongest clan in the country and almost sealed it with a marriage. He should be pleased. Yet, something was wrong, something was out of place and for some reason, he couldn't put a finger on what it was that made him feel so empty inside.

* * *

I thought it was time to bring Yeon Hwa in to show just what sort of challenges lie ahead. What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Please lemme know.


	10. Chapter 10 - The Burdens They Bear

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

Ju gave an audible sigh that caught his teacher's attention just as he had intended it to. The morning meeting at his mother's chambers had made him late for his lessons leaving him no time to make a pitstop. So he had ended up writing the note during class while feigning interest in the lecture explaining a scientific concept that he knew was already disproved or would soon be disproved.

He could never be sure about the timelines though because Ji Mong's books explained a lot of theories and concepts but were always cryptic about when, where and who proved or disproved it. Since Ji Mong could see the future, Ju was never sure about whether the information in the books that he had found hidden in the library was from the past, the present or the future.

In any case, the class had been dragging on forever. Ju became restless as his mind played tricks on him, showing him images of Soel looking worried, searching through book after book in the designated corner of the library, looking for a note that was not there because it was sitting on the desk in front of him, staring back at him. At this very moment, she could be giving up and walking away from the library.

Ju clenched his fists into balls and glared as he tried to use his mind power to will his teacher into stopping the rambling and letting him off for the day. His mind power, or maybe it was his glare, seemed to have some effect because in that instant, the teacher concluded his lecture and asked if there were any questions.

An elated Ju already had one foot facing the door when Wang Chi piped up with a question. His cousin's over-enthusiasm in class had always irritated Ju but today it literally made him livid. "Excellent question. I will certainly explain that in more detail." Even as he said that, the teacher glanced at Ju and noticed the fierce stare aimed at incinerating both him and his star pupil on the spot. Though he didn't know nearly enough about the concept he was attempting to teach, he was smart enough to know that nothing good would ever come from angering the future King of Goryeo. "But while we do that, if the crown prince has other important appointments to keep, he can go ahead." Ju bowed low to the teacher and was out the door in a flash.

* * *

Ju increased his pace as he made his way towards the astronomy tower. He patted the left side of his chest to confirm that the inside of his shirt still held the note that he planned to place in a particular book in the library. He decided to take a short-cut through the Cheondoekjeon palace to get to the tower faster. One of his first thoughts when he saw Uncle Jung that morning had been that if he was in the capital that meant that she was here too. That thought always brought a smile to his face.

" _She will not marry the crown prince. I will never allow it._ "

The words rang in his head again and wiped the smile completely off his face. Ju shook his head to chase away the gloom that descended on him and to get his thoughts in order. Why did his Uncle's declaration upset him so much? Was it because his pride was hurt at the blanket rejection? His mother would be so disappointed if she saw him now. She always insisted that in politics, there was no place for irrational pride.

The thought of his mother brought a wry smile to Ju's face. Of course, thanks to her intense hatred of the girl, his mother would never allow that marriage either. So, how did it matter whether Uncle Jung was against him marrying Soel or not, when he didn't want to marry her in the first place?

He didn't, right?

There was no reason for him to marry her, especially not after today. Not after his mother had arranged for a different alliance with the Yoo clan. Granted, it would be a bit of a bother if Wang Chi married Yoo Soel and attempted to get the Yoo clan to stand behind him, but with a little help from his future brother-in-law, Ju could easily deal with that.

Ju was surprised at how his blood boiled at the thought of Wang Chi marrying Soel. His dislike for his cousin reached new heights that he did not know was possible. Why did it affect him so much? He would need to deal with a lot more than such minor attempts at treason if he wanted to be King.

* * *

As he exited the palace through a side door and entered the palace gardens, Ju's line of thought was disturbed by the sound of squeals and laughter. He turned around to see two of his sisters playing with the Hwangbo girls, running in circles and giggling, their clothes and faces dusty and dirty, the ribbons that once sat prettily on their pigtails now either hanging miraculously at the very edge of what was left of said pigtails or lying forlornly in the grass.

The oldest of his sisters was standing a little way off shouting out instructions, trying in vain to bring some order to the proceedings, attempting to look stern and failing miserably. She was older than the other girls by only a couple of years and yet she looked so different – so lady like. Ju noted with pride that his sister looked graceful and beautiful as always, walking with precise movements, not a single wrinkle on her beautiful skirt and every single hair in place. He smiled at her exasperated sigh and realized that even though they hardly spent any time together because they had no common interests, he would still miss her if she were to get married and leave for Chungju.

Ju was torn between the desire to spend some time with his sisters while he could and the urge to get going, when the decision was taken away from him. The younger girls noticed him and shrieked, "Oraboeni". In an instant they were all around him and Ju was overwhelmed by the racket as they screamed excitedly, grabbing at his shirt and entreating him to join their game.

* * *

Soel backed out of the throne room slowly and stealthily as her father and Uncle So continued discussing land reforms with the ministers. The discussions had been going on for a long time and it did not look like they would ever reach any consensus.

Soel suspected that the ministers were creating obstructions and exaggerating the complications because they were too cowardly to actually tell the King that they were opposed to his ideas of how to go about the reform. Reaching the door after what seemed like forever, Soel glanced one last time at the arguing men before turning around and fleeing as fast as her feet could carry her.

If she had stayed for a second longer, she'd have noticed the King's face break into an uncharacteristic smile at her antics before turning back into a scowl at a particularly detrimental suggestion from one of his ministers.

In her hurry, Soel chose the wrong exit and stood facing the palace garden. She was debating whether to forge ahead with the astronomy tower that she saw at a distance as her guide or to turn around and take a route she was more familiar with, when she heard the laughter and the excited voices.

She was surprised to see Ju laughing unreservedly, surrounded by a bunch of excited girls. He shook his head, the pony tail swinging from side to side, trying to escape whatever it was the girls wanted him to do. Soel knew that the girls were her cousins even though she had never been officially introduced to any of them. She felt a surge of envy as she saw the girls chattering animatedly, completely at ease with each other and their surroundings. She wondered what it would be like to grow up with other girls her age, learning and playing together, talking about clothes and hairstyles, feeling like she belonged somewhere.

Being an only daughter and growing up without a mother had meant that Soel had never felt like she belonged anywhere. She had enjoyed hanging out with the maids in the kitchen as a child but when Lady Munhye (Jung's wife) found out about that, she put a stop to it immediately. How can a girl from a royal family spend so much time with maids? Lady Munhye also had a lot of rules about how a lady should behave and what hobbies she was allowed to have which left Soel feeling suffocated and lonely in the large mansion.

In addition to all that, being the child who was hidden from the world at birth meant that there were rules around who she was allowed to meet and talk to. She felt free only when she was alone with her father or Uncle So, when she was hanging out in Damiwon with Lady Kim and of course, when she was with Ju.

Soel smiled seeing Ju struggle to negotiate with the girls who were pulling him in all directions, when she noticed the beautiful princess who stepped up and distracted the girls by drawing their attention towards some butterflies in a flower patch nearby. As the girls ran after the butterflies, Ju and the princess turned and started walking towards the palace.

Seeing them headed straight for her, Soel turned around in a panic and bumped straight into someone. "Ouch", she said as she stepped back quickly. "Ow, ow, ow…", she said holding her forehead, hoping to deflect the blame and avoid being taken to task for being a klutz. Getting no response to her act, she sneaked a peek at the person she had bumped into.

She was surprised to see her handsome cousin standing tall in front of her, watching her intently, his head tilted to a side, trying hard to contain his laughter. "I do apologize for hurting such a pretty lady", he finally said, regarding her with an amused smile. "I don't think we have met before. I'm Wang Chi, and you are?" he asked in a pleasant voice.

Soel stood rooted to her spot, eyes and mouth wide open, wondering how to introduce herself, when a voice behind her solved her dilemma by answering for her. "She is Yoo Soel, Uncle Jung's daughter." Soel turned around to see Ju and the princess approaching them from the garden.

"Ah….. so you are Uncle Jung's daughter. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Soel." Wang Chi said with a pleasant smile and a slight bow of the head.

"I'm Seol too", said the youngest of the girls as she hopped and skipped up the stairs to stand next to Wang Chi.

"Ha…. there you are. These are my sisters, Hwangbo Su and Hwangbo Seol", Wang Chi introduced, pointing to two of the girls. "I assume you already know Ju's sisters."

Soel stared blankly around her, rendered speechless by the sheer number of princes and princesses surrounding her and looking at her expectantly.

"Not exactly. It's a pleasure to meet you, Soel. I'm Princess Mun Deok", said a soft, gentle voice beside her. Soel bowed to the princess, suddenly feeling more flustered than ever. All of Lady Munhye's rules came to her mind as she thought to herself, "So this is what being a lady looks like."

Now surrounded on three sides, Soel hastily bowed to all the people around her with a murmured, "I'll be on my way now. Nice meeting you" and turned around, hurrying along the path that ran around the building.

"Wait, you were headed this way", Wang Chi called after her, pointing to the palace door behind him.

"Umm…. yes", Soel made a U-turn with her head bent as low as it could possibly get, her cheeks flushed red, wanting to disappear into thin air. She hurried to make her get away into the palace but bumped straight into something instead. She glanced up with an exasperated sigh to see Wang Chi standing before her with his tilted head and a wide smile, looking like he was having the time of his life.

She was sure that this time, it was not her fault. He had placed himself in her path. She was about to squabble when she saw the twinkle in his eye and held her tongue realizing that it was exactly what he wanted. What she did not notice was that, behind her, Ju's face looked like thunder and his fists were clenched. His sister noticed with interest that it was taking her brother all his will power to keep his composure and not sock his cousin on the jaw.

"Are you planning to go to the market to see the festivities?"

The question threw Soel off and she went wide eyed, just managing an "Eh?"

"The festivities….. for the Double ninth festival…. Weren't you planning on going? It's more fun in the market than inside the palace walls", Wang Chi clarified.

Yes, the festivities in the market. The memories of running around the market incognito with Uncle So, years ago, made Soel smile, forgetting her current awkward situation.

"I don't think I can", she said sadly. Soel knew that she couldn't ask Uncle So to take her to the market any more. For one, Uncle So is always very busy and for another, her father had warned her that it is too dangerous for the King to walk around the market without his bodyguards.

"My sisters and I are on our way there right now. You could come with us, if you like."

Soel's face shot up in surprise. She was sorely tempted by the offer but unsure about whether she was allowed to socialize with her royal cousins let alone run around town with them. "I'll….. I'll have to ask my father", she stammered.

"Of course. We'll wait for you here. Hurry back", Wang Chi said, his smile widening. Soel hurried off into the palace, feeling perplexed and completely unsure about what she was doing.

"I thought you were dropping by the marketplace on your way home. Isn't it inappropriate for you to offer to take someone along when you can't bring them back?", Ju spit out, his eyes narrowed at his cousin.

"Oh, I will be sure to walk Soel back to the palace. Though it'd be long, I'm sure it would be a pleasant walk", Chi responded with his characteristic disarming smile, acting as though he was completely unaware of the hatred aimed at him.

Ju's face darkened further. He turned around and stormed off, not wanting to give his cousin the satisfaction of seeing him lose his cool.

"What? What did I do now to upset your highness", Wang Chi called after him with mock servility, his eyes dancing with pleasure.

"You shouldn't be so spiteful." Wang Chi turned to face Princess Mun Deok, all the happiness draining off his face in an instant.

"Why not? Haven't I been denied enough? I should at least be allowed some spite."

Despite the harsh words, when she looked into his eyes, the princess saw more sadness there than resentment or accusation. Having no answer to his question, she bowed to him and hurried after her brother.

They had always been very competitive - her brother and her cousin. She knew better than either of them that their hatred for each other stemmed from jealousy, of wanting what the other had. Wang Chi would give an arm and a leg to have the privilege of being the next in line for the crown and being able to claim the throne as a birthright. On the other hand, Ju had always been envious of how Wang Chi could enjoy all the privileges of being a prince without the weight of a country's future resting on his shoulders. Ju wrongly assumed that Chi was free to do whatever he wanted with his life.

She sighed as she wondered whether Wang Chi's interest in Soel had triggered her brother's reaction or it had been the other way round. Thinking about the interesting spectacle that had unfolded before her eyes, the princess took a moment to feel sorry for the poor girl who had the misfortune of getting entangled in the rivalry between the cousins and wondered if there was anything she could do to untangle it just a little bit.

* * *

Introducing the princes and princesses. What did you think of the new characters? Review, please... *fluttering eyelashes*


	11. Chapter 11 - Double-Ninth Festival

(970 AD, 21st year of Gwangjong's reign)

As Soel rushed back towards the palace garden, she still couldn't believe that she got permission to go to the market to enjoy the festival, with her cousins. Well, not exactly, but almost. Her father had looked like he wanted to say no but Uncle So had forestalled him with a disinterested, "Let her go". Soel had thanked him and rushed out of the room before her father could recover from the shock and respond.

When she got to the appointed spot, Soel was surprised to see not 3 but 5 of her cousins waiting for her. Princess Mun Deok smiled brightly as she explained, "Since this is your first time going to the Songak market, I thought you could use some help. I'm very good at shopping and I know all about the latest fashion. I also convinced Ju oraboeni to go with us. That way, we don't have to trouble Chi oraboeni to escort us back to the palace."

At that, she tugged at the sleeves of her brother, who was leaning against a pillar, arms folded in front of him, seemingly disinterested in the conversation. The princess looked so excited by the idea that Soel did not have the heart to tell her that she'd been to the Songak market before.

"Now that we are all here, let's get going", Wang Chi said with an exaggerated sigh.

* * *

Soel looked in awe at the wide array of hairpins, ribbons, bangles and a whole lot of other accessories spread out before her. She nodded her head, her eyes as big as saucers, as Mun Deok explained the names and uses of some of the more exotic ones. Soel didn't dare to tell the princess that there were so many others on the display that she had never seen or heard of before.

She looked around her happily, having realized very quickly that a trip to the market with her cousins was nothing like the trips with her father or Uncle So, whose attention tends to get drawn towards weapons and martial arts performances despite their best efforts. Wang Chi knew where all the best sights and sounds were, Princess Mun Deok was an expert on which shops to visit for the best clothes and accessories, and Ju seemed to be friends with most merchants and bought them the best sweets and savories.

While Mun Deok helped the Hwangbo sisters select bangles to go with their new skirts, Soel walked around, inspecting the ribbons. A red ribbon embroidered with a gold pattern caught her eye but when she picked it up, she realized that it was one of those very long ones used in intricate braids that she had never had the courage to try. Just then, Ju called out to her from a nearby stall selling leather products. Soel quickly dropped the ribbon and rushed off to join him.

As soon as she left, Wang Chi walked up to where she had been and picked up the ribbon tentatively. But before he could decide what he wanted to do with it, it was snatched away from between his fingers.

"I think I'll take this. You do have a good eye for women's accessories. No wonder all the girls swoon over you", Mun Deok said with a bright smile as she folded the ribbon.

Wang Chi refused to return her smile. Instead, he smirked at her exaggerated explanation as he turned to the rack and picked out a pink ribbon, the color of cherry blossoms, showed it to the stall owner and placed a coin on the rack. "That one's not your style. This one is", he said in a low monotone as he wound the ribbon around Mun Deok's arm.

By the time she looked up from where the ribbon lay on her arm, he was gone.

At the leather stall, Ju showed Soel a small strip of leather with strings attached at the end. "You can tie this around your fingers when you use a bow. Let's check if this one fits you", he said as he took her hand and tied the leather around her fingers. Soel opened and shut her hand to check the fit. "It's perfect", she said.

When he turned around after paying for the finger protector, Ju found Soel picking up a broader piece of leather used to protect the hand while climbing with a rope. He raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Why do you need that when you are learning to climb without a rope?"

"Because I haven't finished learning how to climb without a rope", she responded.

"You haven't been practicing at home like I asked you to, have you?", he snapped.

"Ha…. easy for you to say. I can't just sneak out and practice wall-climbing when I'm at home. Lady Munhye keeps tabs on me to ensure that I don't skip my classes."

"You have classes? What do you learn?", Ju asked in surprise.

"The same stuff as Mun Deok, I guess", Soel responded, not wanting to go into detail.

"And what exactly are those?", Ju asked, feeling slightly ashamed that he knew so little about his sister's classes and interests.

"Well… history, languages, sewing, embroidery, cooking….."

"You know how to cook?" Ju asked suppressing a snigger.

"Of course, I do. I'm not as good as Lady Munhye but I can…." As she elucidated on her cooking skills, Soel looked up from a leather pouch she was inspecting to see the amused expression on Ju's face. "Why? What's wrong with me cooking? Is there some rule that says clumsy girls cannot be good cooks?", Soel exploded, the unspoken barb from Ju hitting too close to the mark.

"Of course not. You should certainly cook", Ju responded quickly, attempting to put out the fire.

"And what gives YOU the right to decide whether I should certainly cook or not?", Soel struck back, still simpering.

"I'm not saying that you should. I meant that you can, if you wanted to."

"I already know that. I don't need your permission to do what I want to do", Soel shot back.

Ju threw his hands up in the air, unsure of how to salvage the situation. "Oh come on….. stop being so sensitive. I wasn't trying to disparage your cooking skills. I'm sure you can cook a delicious meal if you wanted to."

"I don't really care what you think. It's not like I was inviting you to taste the food I cook", Soel said with a shrug of her shoulder but in a much calmer tone.

"I would love to come." Both Ju and Soel turned around to see Wang Chi standing behind them with a lop-sided grin. "In case you want to invite ME, I'd love to come", he told Soel, completely ignoring Ju, who was glaring daggers at him.

* * *

As they made their way back to the palace, Princess Mun Deok bombarded Soel with a million questions about her likes, dislikes, her friends and family, and her life in Chungju. Ju smiled to himself as he watched his sister go out of her way to get to know Soel. While she seemed to be genuinely interested in Soel, Ju knew that the questions were more for his benefit. After all, she had no idea that all that information would come in handy in the near future, when she gets married and moves to Chungju.

Once they reached the palace, Mun Deok insisted that they drop her off first. In front of Queen Daemok's palace, she bid Soel good night and secured a promise to meet again the next time Soel was in the palace. Then she poked her brother in the ribs and muttered something before walking gracefully up the stairs leading to the doorway.

Too curious to follow propriety, Soel asked immediately, "What was that about?"

"Uhmmmm….. she wanted me to give you this", Ju said as he handed over the red ribbon.

Soel's eyes opened wide in surprise as she looked at the ribbon that she had admired at the market. But her face deflated the next instant as she remembered why she had abandoned it in the first place. "You shouldn't have. I won't be able to use it because I can't handle braids", she said softly.

"That's okay. I can show you other hairstyles that use a long ribbon." Ju and Soel looked at each other in shock before turning around and noticing Mun Deok peering out from behind one of the pillars.

"Unbelievable", Ju said with a shake of his head as she walked out of her hiding place, bowed primly while holding her skirt lightly with her fingers and disappeared into the palace, giggling like a little girl. "I don't know what's gotten into her. She never behaves like that", Ju explained, still shaking his head.

"She's perfect… no matter what she does. I'm so jealous. I wish I had such a wonderful sister", Soel said with a smile, as her eyes lingered on the doorway where Mun Deok had disappeared. "You should be careful what you wish for. Might just come true", Ju replied with a smile as he led her to her quarters.

* * *

What are your thoughts on the rivalry between Ju & Chi? Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts. Pretty please... :-)


	12. Chapter 12 - Just One Moment

(971 AD, 22nd year of Gwangjong's reign)

Ju bowed low as did all the ministers when the King declared the meeting closed after making the announcement about his daughter's marriage. Ju looked around him. He could plainly see the reactions of the clans on the faces of the respective ministers.

The first wedding in the royal family, the marriage of the King's oldest daughter, was less a family affair and more a political statement. It was an indication of which clan the King favored most. Consequently, members of the Yoo clan were present in full force and looked jubilant after the announcement. On the other hand, members of the Hwangbo clan looked furious while all the other clans watched the proceedings with interest.

Ju knew that, more than anything else, this announcement was the King's revenge. He had heard rumors about some stunt that Uncle Wook and the Hwangbo clan pulled to corner the King and challenge his power when he first ascended the throne. He had dug around trying to confirm said rumor because it was also speculated that the King was forced to marry Queen Daemok against his wish because of that stunt.

King Gwangjong was never one to forget or forgive. He got his opportunity for pay back when the Hwangbo clan submitted a proposal requesting Princess Mun Deok's hand in marriage to Wang Chi. It had given the King great pleasure to summarily reject the proposal. With today's announcement, his revenge was finally complete. As they filed out to the palace courtyard, ministers from the Yoo clan boisterously discussed wedding preparations and how to get everything in place within 2 weeks while the ministers from Hwangbo clan spoke in hushed whispers about what their next steps should be.

Feeling tired and suffocated by the clamoring and power-grabbing, Ju hurried away. His feet led him straight towards the one person who did not feature prominently in any of those discussions despite being the one at the centre of the decision and the one most impacted by it.

* * *

A sweet smell permeated the air as he entered the section of the garden most favored by his sister where lush jasmine vines were entwined around bamboo shafts that formed arches leading towards a flower bed filled with chrysanthemum flowers of varying hues. Ju felt the weight slowly lifting off his shoulders as the tiny white flowers winked at him while leading him down the path towards the bright flower bed where the chrysanthemum flowers danced gracefully on a bed of dark green leaves.

He found his sister there, plucking flowers with a soft touch as though attempting to minimize any pain that the plants might feel because of the loss, and placing them carefully in her basket. She wore a white dress with soft pink patterns that swirled around her as she moved, making her look more ethereal than ever.

"I will tell Uncle Jung that he needs to first prepare a patch in his garden to convert into a chrysanthemum bed with jasmine arches before he starts wedding preparations", Ju teased.

Princess Mun Doek turned around with a smile as she asked, "Did father make the announcement?" When Ju nodded his head in assent, he thought he saw her shoulders droop slightly as she let out the breath she was holding, as though, letting go of a tiny sliver of hope that she was foolishly holding on to.

Unsure whether he actually saw what he did or only imagined it, Ju asked tentatively, "Do you still…"

"Of course, not", came the emphatic reply even before he could finish the question. Mun Deok drew herself up to her full height which wasn't much but Ju was stunned to see how she transformed herself from a petite, fragile girl to a refined princess in an instant. "I was born a princess and I know what that entails. I have privileges and power that very few can claim. It would be very unreasonable of me to enjoy all of those privileges and then balk when the time comes to take responsibility for my position", she said with a reassuring smile that held just a tinge of sadness.

Ju felt helpless as he looked at the brave girl before him, her resignation hurting him more than tears could. "There's still time. I could talk to mother…", Ju said, uncertainly.

"You know that mother is not the one you'd need to convince", Mun Deok said softly, eyes drifting to her feet.

"Then I'll talk to the King", Ju said resolutely.

"You'll do no such thing", came the stern response. "You need to be in the King's good graces. He looked so proud when you were announced as the winner of the tournament. This is not the time to destroy the good will that took you years to garner", she said more softly. "In any case, I'm well aware of my duty. I always have been. When the time comes, I will ensure that you have the full support of the Yoo clan", she said with confidence.

"I don't want to become King on the strength of your sacrifices. I'd rather see you happy", he asserted as he took her hands in his.

"Who said anything about a sacrifice?", she asked with a laugh. "I'm not being exiled. I'm marrying into one of the most powerful clans in all of Goryeo. Soel tells me that I'm exactly the kind of daughter that Queen Munhye had always wanted – beautiful, graceful and talented in the arts. I'm sure she'll love having me as a daughter-in-law. And I promise I'll take care of your person while I'm there", she said with a mischievous smile.

"She's not my person", Ju protested.

"Really? That's hard to believe when you blush like that at the mere mention of her", she teased. "I want you to promise me something though", she said more seriously. "Promise me that you won't be a coward like me. I will be rooting for you and I don't want to see you give up, ever."

Ju felt a tear trickle down his eyes as he pulled her into a hug. "You are anything but a coward", he said softly.

* * *

As he made his way across the garden, Ju told himself over and over again that Mun Deok was right - it was all for the best. He was taken aback when his sister Princess Cheonchu crashed into him and started complaining about the incessant teasing from their youngest, Princess Bohwa.

"She says that mother is marrying me off to Chi oraboeni. That's not true, right?", she asked, her bright black eyes swimming in tears.

Before Ju could answer, Bohwa piped up, "Of course, it's true. I heard her talking to the ministers myself."

Ju felt his face grow red with anger as he clenched his fists. The Hwangbo clan had gone running to the queen to air their grievances and secured a promise for another royal wedding. It infuriated him that in all their scheming and plotting, no one seemed to care about what the princes and princesses really wanted, treating them simply as pieces to be positioned in the most favorable squares on the political chessboard of Goryeo.

"Stop spouting nonsense, Bohwa. Haven't you learned that you should not listen in when adults are in a discussion and then go around talking about it?" he chastised Bohwa, his frustration spilling on to his voice, making it harsher than he intended it to be.

"Ouch, that's way too harsh. You should watch your tone, your highness." Ju looked up to see Wang Chi climbing down the stairs languidly and making his way towards them.

Princess Cheonchu hid behind Ju, her face turning red while Princess Bohwa forgot her distress at her brother's harsh words and started giggling again.

"Are you marrying my sister?" asked Bohwa.

"That depends on whether your sister wants to marry me, doesn't it?" Chi said softly and Ju was surprised at how sincere the words sounded.

"Maybe she will, if you ask her nicely", Bohwa persisted.

"Ummmm….. let's see…. How about something like this?

 _Let me be the wind that dries your tears and your warmth on a cold winter's day;_

 _Let me be the thought that makes you smile for my heart will never sway_."

"Ooooooo….. that's so romantic", Bohwa screamed, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Ewwww…. That's so tacky", Cheonchu said as she stepped out from where she was hiding behind Ju. "Now that I've heard that, I'm never marrying you", she said wrinkling her nose before running away, Bohwa chasing after her, squealing.

Ju turned back to Wang Chi intending to rip him a new one for talking so flippantly about serious topics but stopped short when he noticed the pained look on his face. Ju followed his cousin's gaze to where Mun Deok was walking up the garden path, flower basket in hand, stopping every now and then to pick another flower.

In that instant, Ju felt sorry for his cousin. Maybe, he didn't have it all, either. He might be a prince but he was also the son of a traitor, one that the King truly despised. While all the ministers and nobles praised him and compared him favorably to Ju, if he ever made one wrong turn or said one wrong word, the King wouldn't blink an eye before ordering his execution and none of the ministers or nobles would breathe a word in his defense. Worst of all, the Wang Chi who laughed and flirted easily and recited tacky poetry that made girls swoon will never get to flirt or say those words to the one person they were truly meant for.

By the time Ju turned around again, his expression softer, Wang Chi was sporting his characteristic grin.

"Really? Was it that bad? I'm sure you couldn't have come up with anything better at the spur of the moment, right?"

"Spur of the moment, my ass. Don't you know better than to joke about royal weddings? If your words were to fall on the wrong ears, there'd be hell to pay", Ju rebuked him.

"Ha….. that's a surprise - to hear you talk about consequences. You should be more careful THAT doesn't fall on the wrong ears. Your reputation as the fearless rebel will be ruined forever. What will your detractors say?", Chi said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ju shook his head in exasperation as he walked away, blaming himself for trying to have a sane conversation with someone who'd rather hide behind facades and masks.

* * *

Wang Chi continued on down the path until he came face to face with Princess Mun Deok who gave him a polite bow. He acknowledged the bow with an off-handed nod of the head but his eyes continued to follow her as she passed him by.

"That's a beautiful ribbon, Princess", he noted with interest when his eyes caught the pink ribbon, the color of cherry blossoms, that adorned her braid.

Mun Deok stopped short, regretting the one indulgence she had allowed herself to get through the day. "Yes, it is. Thank you, oraboeni", she said without turning around.

But before she could take another step, she found Wang Chi standing before her, blocking her path and staring intently at her. She quickly averted her eyes but the damage was done. What he saw in her eyes made a small smile spread across his face. He reached out tentatively and cupped her face, lifting it up so that he could look into her eyes, all the while expecting her to push him away and chide him with indignation.

On any other day, that's exactly what Princess Mun Deok would have done. But the knowledge that she'd be leaving Songak in 2 weeks and might never see him again made it a lot more difficult to push him away.

"I had hoped… though I knew I shouldn't… I thought I could…if I had more time…" he faltered as he searched her brown eyes that seemed to glow in a lighter shade on her upturned face as the sunlight reflected off of the tears that quickly filled them.

Wang Chi closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. When he opened them again, they were shining with a hope and a resolve that set alarm bells ringing in Mun Deok's head.

"Maybe, I still can….."

"No, you can't", she interrupted him, her voice rendered sharp by her panic. "It's too late. The King has announced his decision. The wedding's in 2 weeks and everyone's busy making arrangements."

But even as she listed out all the reasons why they couldn't, they shouldn't dare to hope, she wished he would stop her, tell her none of those mattered, that there was still a way out. But she knew that he couldn't truthfully say any of those. He had neither the power nor the standing to go up against the King without putting his life and the lives of everyone around him in danger and she couldn't let him do that.

As the tears streamed down her face, she quickly pushed his hands away and bowed as she said, "I should get going."

But Wang Chi was not done. He pulled her into an embrace and as she struggled to break free, he pleaded softly, "Stay…. just for a moment."

She felt his hands stroke her hair and his lips brush lightly against the top of her head as he tried to convey a lifetime of affection in a single embrace. She decided then that she deserved that one moment – one moment when she was not a princess but just herself; one moment when she was free to do what she wanted, what she had always wanted. So she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulders and they stayed that way for one very long moment.

* * *

I'm sure this chapter didn't go the way many of you expected it to go. So please lemme know what you think. Praises and brickbats are all welcome.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Royal Wedding

(971 AD, 22nd year of Gwangjong's reign)

It was dusk and shadows were growing very long. There was spring in Soel's steps as she made her way to the low wall that she had been practicing to climb. The wedding announcement and the planning around it required her father to stay in Songak for the whole 2 weeks before the wedding and that gave Soel an excuse to stick around too. She promised herself that by the end of the 2 weeks, she'd be able to scale fort walls effortlessly and give an expert climber like Ju a run for his money.

Her happiness was also in part due to the wedding itself. She loved the idea of having Mun Deok around in Chungju as her sister-in-law. She had already planned out in her head all the different places in Chungju that she would take Mun Deok to and all the things they would do together.

When she reached the designated meeting spot, she found Ju sitting on the wall, deep in thought, looking troubled. He jumped off when he saw her approach and dusted off his hands.

"Have you been practicing?", he asked in a dry tone.

Soel nodded her head vigorously, his sour mood not dampening her excitement.

"Let's see how good you are", he said waving her towards the wall.

Soel stood a few feet away from the wall and took a deep breath. Then she ran towards it and climbed on to it in 3 easy steps. Once on top, she balanced herself perfectly as she walked a few feet along the wall before jumping off and landing in a roll before getting on to her hands and knees. She looked up expectantly, hoping to get some appreciation.

Ju simply nodded his head as he said, "We'll have to move to a bigger wall tomorrow."

He walked over and climbed up the wall where he resumed his previous thoughtful posture. Soel joined him there and they sat side by side in silence for a while, watching the sun go down before she asked softly, "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

"Hmmm…... something's very wrong, but I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to get you involved."

"Why not?"

Ju was quiet for a long time, struggling to decide what the right course of action would be. Finally, he turned to her and said very solemnly, "Do you remember that you said you'd give me whatever I asked for if I taught you how to climb a wall? I think I'll have to collect on that promise now. I know that it's too much to ask for and I don't know if it's within your power to give. But if there's anyone who can make this happen, it's you."

* * *

13th prince Baek Ah flinched and averted his head as a sweep of the King's arm sent an array of dishes and bowls crashing on the floor, smithereens flying in all directions.

"I should have known this would happen. I should have known they'd manipulate her and try to use her against me. I should never have let her meet or speak with any of them", King Gwangjong fumed as he paced around the room.

"Uhmmm…. Manipulation is a very strong word", Baek Ah pointed out cautiously. He took a step backwards as the King turned on him in anger.

"Manipulation is not a strong enough word for what the Queen is doing. After everything that she and her brother put Hae Soo through, I can't believe she's trying to use Soel to get what she wants. That woman has no sense of shame."

"Your majesty, Soel and the Queen have never met each other. I'm quite sure of it. You need to calm down and think things through rationally", Baek Ah said in a placating tone.

"There's nothing to think about. My oldest daughter will marry Jung's son. I've already made the decision and that's the way it's going to be", the King said resolutely, in a much calmer voice.

"I respect your decision, your majesty. I'm just saying that you should also think from your daughter's perspective. You know better than anyone else what life is like when you are forced to give up on the one you love and enter a political marriage", Baek Ah reminded him solemnly.

The memory of his loss reopened the King's wounds and made his heart bleed. "And who was the reason I had to live that life?", he spat out, his eyes red with rage.

"That person is dead, has been dead for a while. In fact, they are all gone. So you too need to let that go. Forget everything that happened. Please don't take it out on the children", Baek Ah said softly, his eyes reflecting the sorrow within.

The King turned to face him, the fire still burning in his eyes and asked with a smirk, "Why shouldn't I? They are HIS children. Why should I show them any mercy? Why shouldn't I make them suffer for his sins?"

Baek Ah lifted his face and looked his brother straight in the eye, catching him by surprise. Since the day his brother became King, Baek Ah had always kept his head bowed in front of him. He had always addressed him as "your majesty" and never asked for any favors for himself or for anyone else. To preserve the sanctity of the throne, he had always chosen to treat the man before him as a King and not as a brother. But today, his brother needed his help to let go of past hurts, to move on and to make peace with everything that fate had put him through.

"A long time ago, before you were King, when you were just my hyungnim, you were the most generous person I knew. Even when people hurt you over and over again, you were always willing to give them another chance, to mend bridges, to forgive. During that messed up birthday party, I know how hurt you were to have your siblings gape at your exposed scar as though you were a freak on display, and yet when Eun oraboeni apologized, you forgave him immediately. Though Yo oraboeni never treated you as a sibling and incessantly attacked and ridiculed you both in words and in deeds, you held back and spared his life even when he was deemed a traitor."

"And then I lived to regret it. I was young and naive, and foolishly sentimental", So interjected, not wanting to be reminded of a past that held too many painful memories.

"You were young and hopeful, and yes, foolishly sentimental", Baek Ah agreed with a laugh. But his tone grew more somber as he continued, "Hyungnim, I can give you a hundred reasons why you need to forgive and forget before it's too late. But right now, I think you should do it for just one reason, the most important one. I think you should do it for your children. You should do it because Soel asked you to and because it would make Mun Deok happy. You should do it so that you can let go of the ones who are gone and hold on to those you still have around."

The King was quiet for a very long time before he asked in a resigned tone, "But what about the Yoo clan? Even if I marry my second daughter to Jung's son and hold both the weddings together, they are not going to be happy to share the honor of the first royal wedding with the Hwangbos. And worse, the Hwangbos are going to be delighted", he grumbled, his face contorted with disgust.

"You could ask Jung to find a way to appease the Yoos. As for the Hwangbos, I'm sure you can think of some other way to torment them", Baek Ah pointed out.

"Hmmm….. Jung won't have an easy time handling those over-ambitious ministers and nobles", the King said with a smile. "And I WAS planning on starting a tax audit. There's no reason why we cannot focus primarily on one particular clan this year and I just thought of which Hwangbo nobles I'd like to start off with. I think this just might work", he said rubbing his hands as Baek Ah looked on with an indulgent smile and a shake of his head.

* * *

Wang Chi sat in the classroom, scribbling aimlessly on the sheet of paper before him. Though the class was dismissed a long time ago, he sat on, slowly losing track of time, unable to find the will to leave. He glanced up slowly with a bored expression when he heard someone enter the room, before bolting upright.

Princess Mun Deok grabbed on to a desk to support herself as she struggled to catch her breath. Her face was flushed and her hair was a mess, with loose strands flying in all directions. Her shoes were covered in dirt and were leaving imprints on the wooden floor. The hem of her skirt was covered in splattered mud. She looked so completely unlike herself that Wang Chi rushed to her side in alarm.

The moment she recovered from her mad dash across the palace, Mun Deok started looking frantically around the classroom. Wang Chi looked on with growing concern as she dragged a low stool and placed it in front of him. Before he could process what was going on, she climbed on the stool, steadied herself by grabbing on to his shirt and kissed him full on his mouth.

Then she took a deep breath and smiled from ear to ear as she explained, "I just heard from Ju oraboeni. The King changed his mind." Before she could explain further, his lips descended on hers. She put her arms around his neck to steady herself just as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer and she forgot what she was about to say as her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

Soel's face contorted into many different expressions, her mouth and jaws twisting and turning in all different directions as she tried to do something other than just twiddling her thumbs. Sitting perched on a desk on the top floor of the astronomy tower, she looked expectantly at Ju who was bent over a contraption with long hollow tubes that extended up towards the sky.

Her face took on an expression of long suffering as she asked for what seemed like the millionth time, "Is it ready yet?"

Ju ignored her as he continued to fiddle with the controls. An impish look came over her face as she swung her leg and hit the leg of the table on which the telescope had been mounted.

"Argh….. seriously…..", Ju exclaimed as he looked at her with equal parts anger and disbelief.

"That's exactly what I wanted to say. Seriously? You ask me to come over late at night to show me something amazing as a reward for pleading with the King to get Mun Deok married to Wang Chi and then you just leave me here to die and decay while you keep tinkering with that thing forever. Does that even make sense? Do you have any idea how much I had to give up to keep my promise to you? First off, there is the King's wrath that could turn a lush green meadow into burning embers in a split second. And then, think about this - I could have had Mun Deok as my sister-in-law. I was already making plans on how we would spend our time together and then I had to crush all my dreams with my own two hands. And that's not all. I could have had a tall, handsome and heart-broken cousin flirting with me to get over said heart-break. And then there is the whole politics around this whole thing. The Yoo clan is furious and they will rise up in revolt if they ever found out that I had something to do with their demotion."

Ju closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation as Soel ranted to her heart's content. "I wanted to show you a planet. It took me all day to get the controls right and now you've ruined it", he said in a defeated voice, as he looked at the telescope now facing the heavens at a slightly different angle that somehow made a whole world of difference.

Soel bit her lips as she looked at him with wide repentant eyes. But the next instant, she ran out to the balcony and swung around to face him, her white skirt swirling around her like rippling waves in a sea of black.

"Well, you could just point it out to me. I have perfectly good eyesight", she said with a cheeky grin, eyebrows raised in apprehension and eyes filled with a hope and a plea, pointing up at the sky.

Ju sighed and then smiled as he followed her out. "Look for a very bright star near the moon", he said as he positioned himself behind her.

As Soel peered into the night sky, leaning against the railing, Ju's left hand landed on the railing beside hers. She felt a strand of hair, dislodged by the force of his breath, slide forward and graze against her right cheek.

"That one, right there", he said pointing to Venus, visible as a bright orb in the night sky. "That's Tai-pe, the beautiful white one. She's a planet, very similar to earth and yet she shines brighter and more beautiful than any star in the night sky", he said as he glanced at the girl gazing in awe as one more mystery of the glorious night sky seemed to unfold before her.

A sweet scent of flowers and spices mixed with the morning freshness of a meadow wafted from her hair as he noticed how long and curved her eyelashes were and how her face seemed to glow in the moon light. Almost involuntarily, he bent his head down and let his lips caress her cheek.

In a flash, Soel turned her body around to face him as he looked down at her with an inscrutable expression, his dark eyes ablaze and his lips trembling slightly.

She gulped as she averted her eyes and said in a low voice, "This is a bad idea".

"It is", he agreed even as he moved closer, his voice sending a bolt of lightning streaming down her back.

Soel tried to back away, her torso leaning out at an angle from the balcony, being protected from a deadly fall only by a flimsy railing.

"They'll never agree", she tried again.

"They won't", he concurred as he reached out with his right hand and cupped the back of her head, pulling her back into the relative safety of the balcony.

Their faces were so close at that point that their noses almost touched.

"It's dangerous to lean out so much. You can't fly, right?" he said with a smile as he started backing off.

Soel's hands shot out and wrapped around his neck, stunning him and stalling his movement, bringing his face closer to hers. Her face tilted up slightly with the sudden movement and her lips brushed lightly against his.

After that, it was all a blur.

* * *

If you were to meet them over tea some day and ask them who initiated that first kiss and who responded, they couldn't honestly tell you, though they'd likely each insist that it was the other.

They couldn't tell you how the other's lips felt or tasted either for they'd have no memory of whether it was satiny soft or fiery hot or sweet or tingly. They wouldn't remember how Ju's hands were entwined in Soel's hair or how her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt.

The most they could truthfully tell you is that they felt as though they were falling helplessly into an endless abyss and that they desperately wanted to keep falling; that they were breathless, scared and exhilarated, all at the same time.

If you were to push them even further, they might be able to tell you that none of those were conscious thoughts; that their brains broke down and just buzzed incessantly in their ears; and yet they felt so much - joy, fear, longing and redemption – feelings that came from somewhere far deeper - a different dimension that they could only glimpse when they were together.

* * *

More fluff... And the first kiss... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please use the review box to let me know your thoughts. Pretty please... :-)


	14. Hangawi - Martial Arts Tournament

(971 AD, 22nd year of Gwangjong's reign)

Ju did one final check to confirm that he was dressed to kill or rather win in the tournament. He inspected his sword again before placing it inside the scabbard. Then he pulled at the string tied around his neck and fished out a rather flashy pouch filled with herbs. He smiled as he stroked it fondly wondering if she'd be there. The guard outside announced the arrival of Queen Daemok and Ju quickly hid the pouch under his shirt. The moment she stepped into the room, Ju noticed the worried expression on his mother's face and knew why she was there. He had expected this visit and chosen to stick around to face it rather than sneak off early. But now that the confrontation was near, he wondered whether sneaking off early and facing her after the tournament might not have been a better idea.

"You're here to wish me all success, right?" he asked with a disarming smile.

Queen Daemok looked at him fondly but her smile was forced. "My son has already won the tournament 2 years in a row and proven to the world that he is the best swordsman in all of Goryeo. If he participates in the tournament, his success is essentially guaranteed. So how about we focus on the other competitions this year? You could win the championship for archery or wrestling. Let's show everyone how multi-talented you are. That will silence your critics for a long while. What do you say?", she asked sweetly, her head tilted at an angle, her palm stroking his cheek gently.

Ju smiled, impressed by the angle of attack she had chosen. He considered pointing out how flawed her logic was. For one, there was no way he could win either the archery or the wrestling championships. Wang Chi was a much better archer than he was and Soel would also be participating this year. The wrestling arena had always been fiercely competitive and to add to that, Uncle Jung's sons, who were champion wrestlers were participating this year. For another, he could argue that he needed to win one more time to equal Uncle Jung's record of three in a row, to cement his place and his reputation as a fearsome warrior. But Ju decided against making any of those arguments.

Having danced this dance with his mother many times over the years, Ju knew that he will never win this round if he lets it go in the direction in which she was taking it. She'd know exactly what arguments he'd use and she'd have her counter arguments ready. No one ever won a bout with Queen Daemok by using logic or by out-thinking and out maneuvering her. The best approach was to simply get straight to the crux of the matter instead of beating around the bush and letting the queen run circles around you.

"Is it because Uncle Jung is participating this year?"

His mother closed her eyes and sighed.

"I've been preparing for this day for a long time, ommoni. I'm ready. I can win", Ju said confidently.

"I do not doubt your skills, Ju. It's just that Jung has become so close to the King. I'm just worried…" she said in a tired voice.

"Don't worry, ommoni. I'll be fine. Neither of them has a reason to kill me yet", he winked at his mother, only half-joking.

What he said was true, well mostly true, "yet" being the key word. He knew it would very likely change in the near future but then, his mother didn't need to know that.

"Moreover, I can't back out without losing face. I have a wager going with Uncle Jung. He claims that the only reason I won the last 2 times was because he stopped participating."

Ju hoped that the audacity of the claim would outrage his mother enough not to probe him further. He didn't want to have to tell her the terms of the wager nor did he want her to figure out that he had goaded Uncle Jung into making that statement with some deliberate barbs and trapped him into accepting the wager.

"Ha, classic Jung", his mother scoffed. "Do you have a plan of attack though?" she asked, her expression grave.

Ju nodded and said one word - "Speed".

"Hmmm…. that should work. So you are not wearing armor?" she asked, looking thoughtful.

"I can't afford to", Ju pointed out.

The queen nodded her agreement. "Be careful out there", she cautioned, her voice filled with concern.

"Always", Ju smiled, taking his mother's hands in his.

Just as she was about to let him go, Queen Daemok remembered why she was there in the first place.

"My son seems to have picked up a few tricks", she said with a short laugh. "Most times, I wish you were less like your father and more like me. But then there are times when you pull a trick like this and I end up wishing you were more forthright like your father and a little less like me", she said, patting his hand affectionately.

Taken aback, Ju exclaimed, "My father? Forthright? Are we talking about the same person? King Gwangjong has been out-scheming an entire court full of conniving nobles for over 2 decades now."

Queen Daemok laughed heartily at her son's reaction before explaining with a faraway look in her eyes, "But he wasn't always like that. A long time ago, when he was your age, he loathed schemes and plots. He was blunt and brutally honest with everyone, no matter what the circumstances and what the cost."

"Ahhhh….. so that's what he was like when you fell in love with him", Ju teased, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"I've been pampering you a little too much lately", Queen Daemok noted in mock anger as she reached up and twisted his ear.

With a yelp, Ju slipped out of his mother's grip. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I know you have a reputation to maintain", he said in an undertone, an impish smile playing on his lips, before rushing out the door.

* * *

Ju took his stance and gave his uncle a winning smile, one specifically meant to provoke the erstwhile Grand General to attack. As the heavy sword came swinging towards him, Ju waited till the last possible second before evading it, causing Vice King Moonwon to go into a spin and lose his balance. An enraged Jung didn't waste a moment before taking another swing at him but Ju continued to dance out of the way of blow after blow. In his desperation to land one, Jung swung the sword left and right, not stopping long enough to realize that he should possibly change his approach.

Sitting in the midst of a raucous audience, Soel had her hands folded in prayer. Her eyes stung because she refused to blink. Every time Jung took a swing at Ju, her heart stopped. By now, her father was swinging the sword furiously in all directions without any rational thought and Ju was waiting way too long before getting out of its murderous path. Even though the weapons used in a tournament were blunted, the weight of Jung's heavy sword and the power behind his swings would ensure that if it were to find its target, the taste of its blade would be the last thing Ju feels in the mortal world.

As a scrawny kid who jumped the fort walls and ran around the Songak market incognito, challenging full grown ruffians who liked to tease and poke at the weak and the meek, Ju had learned that the best offence against a stronger, better built opponent was to use their size and their strength against them. The basic principle was simple - swinging and missing drained a lot more energy than swinging and hitting. As long as he avoided being hit and prolonged the fight for as long as he could, he could tire his opponent out completely before landing one strong offensive hit that would end the fight.

In an actual battlefield with multiple opponents, without an empty ring and the space to dance around, Ju knew that someone like Uncle Jung could make mincemeat of him. He had no armor and one good hit from any sword, not necessarily his direct opponent's, would be the end of him. On the other hand, in an arena, while Jung's armor protected him, it also slowed him down considerably and so did the heavy sword that he used. Ju kept his eyes on Jung, watching him keenly as he struggled for breath and shook off the trickling sweat that threatened to blind him. This was not a battlefield and this fight was not for glory, at least not for Ju. His wager with his uncle required that the one who lost should grant one wish to the winner and Ju intended to have his wish granted.

Jung was looking around frantically trying to locate Ju, his vision blurring, when he saw a person dressed in black robes rush forward, jump up and twist in mid-air before kicking the sword out of his hand. "Hyungnim", Jung whispered, frozen in place, remembering a very similar assault by 4th prince Wang So on the precipice of a mountain on the day that 3rd prince Wang Yo fell off the edge, to the river below.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Ju made his way to the fallen sword and picked it up before pointing his own at Jung. He smiled as a roar went up in the crowd. There was only one sure way to win a tournament against a determined, unyielding and stronger opponent – to disarm them and take possession of their weapon. It was finally over. As the announcement of the tournament winner was being made, Ju made his way towards Jung.

"You already know what I'm going to ask", he stated without preamble.

"I will not allow it", Jung replied unequivocally.

"Are you going to break your promise to me, Vice King Moonwon?", Ju asked, his eyebrows raised, exaggerating his bafflement.

"I'd rather break my promise to you than break my promise to Hae Soo. When you think of a different wish, come find me", Jung said as he took possession of his sword before walking off the arena.

Letting out a sigh, Ju walked towards the podium where the King and the Queen were waiting to felicitate him on winning the tournament the third time in a row. As he walked up the stairs and looked at his father's proud smile and his mother's beaming face, Ju knew that he had an uphill task ahead of him. He tossed his head and smiled ruefully. He had failed to win over his easiest opponent but then again, he was just getting started.

* * *

The sun had already sunk beyond the horizon when he finally got to the astronomy tower. He found the person he'd been dying to see all day standing on the balcony, staring into the darkness beyond. He smiled as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Congratulations to the new archery champion. Have you been waiting for long?"

"I've been waiting forever", she said, pouting, as she turned around to face him.

He reached out and tucked a few errant strands of hair behind her ear as he explained, "Well, being the tournament winner and all, I had to stay for the celebrations. After all…"

But before he could finish, she cut him off. "What did father say?"

"He said no", Ju replied nonchalantly, leaning in for a kiss.

Soel covered his mouth with her fingers as she pushed his face away. "And that doesn't concern you?" she demanded.

"Well, honestly speaking, I wasn't really expecting that he would hand his precious daughter over to me after just one tournament victory", he admitted as he moved closer.

"I'm not something that my father carries around in a pouch for him to **hand me over** ", Soel responded, her disappointment manifesting itself as frustration and annoyance.

"That's a shame. I was hoping to carry you around in a pouch all day", Ju said with a cheeky grin as his hand snaked its way around her waist but before he could get far, she swatted the hand away, her eyes narrowing in a scowl. "Ya…. I just put my life on the line and won a bloody tournament. Shouldn't you be embracing me, agonizing over my safety and shedding a few tears?" Ju asked in mock annoyance.

Soel looked chastened as she asked with quiet concern, "Are you hurt?"

Ju made a show of checking his arms for any signs of injury as he said, "I'm not really sure. It depends on which answer would secure me that passionate kiss I've been longing for."

"Both of them", Soel said with a short laugh as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Resting her head against his shoulder, she whispered, "I'm scared."

Ju closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "Don't be. I'm sure there is a way out and I'm going to find it", he said, refusing to acknowledge just how scared he was and attempting to sound more confident than he actually felt.

"You promise?" Soel asked hopefully lifting her face to glance up at him.

Ju cupped her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eye, wanting her to know that he meant every word. "I promise", he said evenly. "And I need you to promise me something too. No matter how hard it is, no matter how long it takes, no matter who asks it of you, promise me that you'll never give up - on me, on us. I want you to have faith in me because I promise that I'll move heaven and earth to find my way to you."

A few drops of tears stole their way down her cheeks as Soel smiled and nodded her head in assent. Ju returned her smile as he gently wiped her tears before leaning in and sealing their deal with that passionate kiss that she had promised.

* * *

What do you think? Do you like the way the relationship is progressing or do you find something lacking? Please review and lemme know.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Royal Command

(972 AD, 23rd year of Gwangjong's reign)

As his name was being announced, Ju closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He told himself that he was being excessively paranoid and that he'll soon find out that the King had summoned him to entrust him with some mundane, mind-numbing assignment. Yet, he could hear his heart hammering away behind his ribs as he entered the throne room.

The King was on the throne, perusing a scroll. When Ju walked in, he looked up and smiled genially – the kind of pleasant smile that Ju had yearned for all his life. Ironically, at that moment, when Ju's earliest and deepest desire finally turned into reality, rather than making him ecstatic, it heightened his unease.

His anxiety increased further when he noticed the body language of Prince Baek Ah who was standing beside the King. Baek Ah looked extremely apprehensive, like someone standing rooted to the spot, watching a gathering storm, unable to do anything other than pray that it will blow the other way and fade away without causing any death or destruction.

"Ju, I have finally made a decision regarding your marriage. You are to marry the daughter of Gyeongsunwang of Silla."

In that instant, Ju felt his chest tighten. His heart was beating erratically and he had trouble breathing as though all the air was being sucked out of his lungs.

The King continued talking about how the Silla royal family was a blue blooded aristocracy that ruled most of the Korean Peninsula for almost 10 centuries until King Taejo merged it into Goryeo and how a marriage alliance with them would aid Ju's ascension to the throne and give his reign more legitimacy.

Ju looked on in stunned silence and did not hear a word of the political compulsions guiding the decision. His mind was in a haze and he had trouble focusing on any single thought. He knew that he was of marriageable age and had been for a few years and yet he had hoped that he still had time.

The sudden summon from the King did set alarm bells ringing but he did not expected such a huge bolt from the blue. After all, his marriage was not an easy decision to make, with so many different clans lobbying for the privilege of supplying half the chromosomes that'll make up the next crown prince. On top of that, there hadn't been so much as a whisper from any of the spies his mother employed.

Did the King of Goryeo decide on the marriage of the crown prince without consulting anyone at all, not even the Queen?

"I refuse."

It was a struggle to get the words out and it took Ju all his strength to finally say it out loud. The King stopped mid-sentence to stare at his son, as though not believing his ears.

"You refuse?" he asked in an even tone, eyebrows raised, the edge in his voice sending a shiver down the backs of all those who heard it.

"Your majesty, you made the decision on who should be the future Queen of Goryeo all by yourself without consulting anyone else, not even your Queen. If you intend to impose your decision on me without giving me any choice, I have to refuse."

With each word from Ju, King Gwangjong's eyes became progressively darker and his face took on a murderous hue. Ju noticed Baek Ah trying to draw his attention, shaking his head in warning, his eyes pleading for Ju to stop before it was too late. However, Ju ignored his Uncle and continued to stand his ground. There was no turning back.

He gulped and surreptitiously dried his sweaty palms by gripping his clothes. By now, his heart beat was so loud that it sounded as though a band of drummers with a penchant for practicing all day moved into his head and decided to live inside his ears.

"Your majesty, to give me a fair chance, I appeal to you to agree to a duel with me. If you win, I will proceed with this marriage without question. If I win, please reconsider this marriage and accede to one of my requests."

King Gwangjong glowered at his son for a very long moment before his anger was replaced by contempt. In a voice dripping with sarcasm, he queried, "And pray tell, what are the terms of this duel? I'm not interested in fighting you with a blunted sword in a tournament ring. It's not worth my time."

"How about fighting me on the palace grounds with acuminous swords until one of us concedes defeat or dies? Would that be worth your time?"

While he outlined the terms of the duel, Ju heard a sharp intake of breath as Baek Ah's eyes darted up in alarm. Ju kept his eyes trained on the King, goading him, challenging him. His father's expression changed from disdain to quiet appraisal and his smirk progressed into full blown laughter - one that had more malice than mirth in it, and yet Ju's gaze did not falter.

"Fine, then. Let's do it at dawn on the day after tomorrow. That should give you one full day to set your affairs in order. You may leave now."

* * *

-O-

Ju only managed to walk a few paces from the throne room before his feet gave way and he had to grab on to a pillar for support. With effort, he reached Lake Dongji, plunked himself down on the grass, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He lay there with his hands behind his head for a long time, drinking in the serenity surrounding him and waiting for his racing heart to return to a normal pace.

Baek Ah found him there and sat down next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Mmm", Ju responded with a slight nod and a tight smile before sitting up and dusting off his palms.

Baek Ah gave a short laugh. "Really? You have less than 2 days left to live and you are alright? What were you thinking?"

Ju shrugged as he stared at the shimmering ripples that formed on the surface of the lake. "Not much. I didn't have too many options. So I took a gamble based on something someone once told me."

Baek Ah's eyes opened wide as he scoffed, "Huh… You took a gamble? You have no idea what you just did, do you? You just wrote your death sentence. Against hyungnim, you wouldn't last five minutes. You wouldn't even last long enough to concede."

Ju turned to Baek Ah with an expression of mock distress. "You are breaking my heart. How is it that you have absolutely no faith in me? After all, I won the tournament three years in a row and I defeated Uncle Jung."

Baek Ah shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh. "It's not the same. You cannot win against your father. Heck, no one can win against your father. At the age when you were learning to fight straw-men with a blunted sword, your father was fending off packs of wolves and fighting for dear life. At your age, he faced a small army of assassins single-handedly, killed every single one of them and set their hideout on fire. You have as much chance against him as an icicle in hell."

Baek Ah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I wish there is something I could do. I should have stopped you….. said something….. "

"Don't be. You couldn't have stopped me, because even now, if I had to do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing", Ju confessed with a smile, looking a lot more relaxed, now that he had some time to think his decision through.

"Aaaaah… I should've known. You have a death wish. In fact, you have always had a death wish", Baek Ah said with an indulgent pat on Ju's head.

"No, I have a plan", Ju said with a reassuring smile.

Baek Ah knotted his eyebrows in a frown and looked askance at his favorite nephew who noted, "You see, I don't have to defeat my father. I just have to make him concede."

* * *

-O-

What do you think? Does Ju stand a chance against So? Please review and lemme know.


	16. Chapter 16 - The King and The Crown

(972 AD, 23rd year of Gwangjong's reign)

-0-

The sun was only just peeking out at the horizon and remnants of grey mist still swirled around when Ju reached the practice grounds, his shoes wet with dew. The location of the face-off had changed thanks to his Uncle Baek Ah who convinced the King not to make a spectacle of his clashes with his own son.

Ju was grateful for the secrecy. For one, if his mother knew, he'd have a tough time explaining his motivations behind this duel to her. He knew that he'd have to face her wrath someday but he didn't want that day to be today because today, he was on a different pursuit with a very simple objective – to stay alive.

He did some stretching exercises, warming up his muscles and loosening his joints before wearing his armor. Then he picked up his long sword and tried out different stances. He was making a few practice thrusts and swings when King Gwangjong entered, followed by Baek Ah. He was dressed in all black and his hair fell in a cascade behind him, held together in a ponytail making him look much younger. In his hand, he held a short sword in a black and gold embroidered scabbard.

With a malevolent smile, King Gwangjong unsheathed the sword that gleamed when it caught the early morning rays. The duel started off slowly with the two opponents circling each other and testing the other with quick thrusts and swings, observing which way the legs moved, how quickly the hands glided in place and how smooth the attacks and defenses were, all the while looking for weaknesses that could be exploited.

Ju noted with interest that the King was not wearing any armor and smiled in mild satisfaction knowing that he had expected this. His father's choice of attire, weapon and hairstyle all pointed to the reason why he had accepted Ju's challenge in the first place; those choices were meant to be a trap for Ju but they were also a physical manifestation of his father's insecurities.

King Gwangjong was challenging Ju to get close enough to so much a graze his unprotected hide being shielded by nothing more than a short sword. At the same time, he also wanted to remind his son that even though he was well past his prime, pushing 50, he was still a force to be reckoned with; that he was so confident about effortlessly fending off a much younger opponent that he cannot be bothered with a suit of armor; that he was so skilled and so quick on his feet that he did not need a heavy sword to bludgeon an opponent in protective mail into submission and would rather cleave said opponent from head to toe with his sharp short sword.

-0-

King Gwangjong waited for the younger man to make an attacking move, prepared to quickly turn it into his worst nightmare and make him regret the moment he challenged the emperor of Goryeo for the rest of his sorry life. However, Ju refused to bite. He stayed back and conserved his strength, waiting for the volley of vicious attacks that his father was notorious for.

When the blitz finally came, it was so brutal and relentless that despite the years of preparation and the anticipation, Ju struggled to ward off the blows and stay on his feet. When the torrent of hits finally subsided, Ju sank down on his knees, bleeding profusely from the cuts and gashes that his opponent had managed to inflict through gaps in his armor. He glanced up to see the King gasping for breath and drained of all energy, but otherwise virtually unharmed.

King Gwangjong's eyes went wide with surprise as his son propped himself up using his sword for support and stood on wobbly legs that threatened to give way at any moment. Based on the damage he had inflicted, he knew that the boy would not be able to wield his sword.

"Stay down and concede defeat so I don't have to kill you. I have already committed enough fratricide to last a few lifetimes. I don't want to add filicide to the list."

Seeing his father's growing alarm, Ju smiled even as he winced from the unbearable pain. Though his father's voice was cold and harsh, he could detect traces of concern and that gave him hope. The loss of blood was making him dizzy and his vision blurry. He focused all his attention towards keeping himself from fainting. He had to keep going. This was far from over.

"I will see this to the end. I will not concede defeat", he replied, hoping that his frail voice carried sufficient strength to convey his resolve.

King Gwangjong's eyebrows shot up as he scoffed, "Is the crown so dear to you that you cannot bear to wait for it for a few more years? If you want to throw your life away over such folly, I'll gladly oblige you."

With that, he stormed forward and thumped Ju's chest with a powerful thrust of the hilt of his sword. Ju crashed to the ground in a heap, spitting blood and blinking his eyes, trying in vain to focus on what was happening around him.

"If you value your life, concede now", Gwangjong warned through gritted teeth as he pointed the tip of his sword on his son's neck.

-0-

Ju tried to control his shallow breathing. He urged his brain to concentrate, to focus on what his father had said just before the last attack. But in his weakened state, he was having trouble thinking while his lungs were struggling for air, his heart was racing and every inch of his body was screaming in pain.

Something told him that the key to his survival lay in making sense of what his father said. He was missing something. His father had said something about the crown. When the meaning of the words finally dawned on him, Ju gasped. By then, the King had taken his stance holding up his sword in front of his right shoulder, gripping the hilt with both his hands, as though preparing for an execution.

"Wait", Ju screamed with all his strength. But instead of his voice, a mouthful of blood spilled out. The King however noticed the accompanying hand motion. He stopped and lowered his arms, a smirk forming on his face. He knelt down in front of his son and peered into his dark eyes filled with unbearable pain that was being overshadowed by a tinge of hope.

"Are you ready to concede now?"

"You're wrong. I'm not fighting for the throne", Ju gasped before a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him.

The smirk on the King's face disappeared and was replaced by concern. His hands shot out to hold up the boy whose head fell sideways as his eyes became unfocused.

"What…"

"There's someone else I want to marry" Ju replied, rudely interrupting the King and not giving him a chance to ask the question. He had to hurry; he was running out of time. King Gwangjong stared incredulously at his son who was fighting an uphill battle with himself to stay conscious.

"You put yourself through all this for a girl?", he thundered. "You are the future King of Goryeo. Do you have any inkling of how valuable your life is? The future of an entire country and its people depends on you. To keep the throne, a King should be willing to throw away everything else."

"She's not someone I can throw away, not even for the throne." As he said that, Ju's voice was so weak that it was hardly a whisper and yet it carried a conviction that was hard to ignore. "My life as a King or even a Prince would have no meaning without…" Having used up the last of his strength, he collapsed in his father's arms without finishing his final declaration.

-0-

Gwangjong turned his gaze to Prince Baek Ah who had rushed over and was trying to revive the unconscious crown prince.

"Did you know about this?"

Baek Ah nodded, keeping his eyes averted, refusing to meet the King's gaze.

"Is it one of the Hwangbo sisters?"

"No, not at all", Baek Ah denied vehemently, taken aback by just how much the King was unaware of what was happening under his very nose. It had always been a mystery to him as to how his brother could be so perceptive when it came to people and politics and be completely blind when it came to matters of the heart.

"It's Soel", Baek Ah volunteered in a small voice, not wanting to drag the discussion out for too long and enrage the King any more than he needed to. He sprinkled some water from his pouch on Ju's face trying to revive him but to no avail.

"Our Soel?" King Gwangjong's mouth stayed open as the news sunk in. "Did Jung know?"

Baek Ah nodded assent. King Gwangjong's eyes flared with suppressed rage.

"You all knew and kept it from me? How could you let it go on? How dare he.."

At that, he turned to Ju with a murderous glare that quickly dissipated at the sight of the bloodied boy who lay unconscious in his arms.

" _She's not someone I can throw away_ "

The words echoed in Gwangjong's mind – the same words he remembered from a long time ago; words that he had spoken to his own father in a different life time when he was Prince Wang So who would gladly leave everything behind to be with his Hae Soo.

His face softened as he gently gathered his son and stood up. If his son was anything like him, he'd willingly bleed to death for the girl he loved and for some inexplicable reason, Gwangjong couldn't allow that; the Wang So in him wouldn't let him.

"I concede", King Gwangjong said to no one in particular as he proceeded to carry his son towards the palace.

-0-

* * *

-0-

The sun was sinking in the horizon when Ju opened his bleary eyes and blinked in confusion. 13th prince Baek Ah rushed to his side. "Are you alright?" he asked more by force of habit than in hopes of getting a lucid answer. Ju tried to nod his head but the movement caused a wave of pain and dizziness that forced him to close his eyes and squirm.

"Stay very still. If you make things any worse than they already are, I will kill you myself. You were dead to the world for two days and I was scared that we lost you. What were you thinking?" he exploded even as he rushed about re-arranging the pillows and sheets on the bed to improve comfort and limit movement.

Once he was satisfied with the arrangement and sufficiently calm, Baek Ah sat on a chair beside the bed and eyed his nephew who was alternately smiling at his uncle's ministrations and wincing as he tested his extremities for feeling and movement.

"So this was your brilliant plan? To get yourself sliced and diced to within an inch of your life? I should have known when you boxed yourself into a corner with that insane challenge to either concede or die. I can't believe I trusted you enough to let you go through with this. What if hyungnim had brought down his sword on your worthless neck before you managed to stop him?"

"He wouldn't have" Ju said with confidence. "Because I had it on good authority from a reliable source that my father cares about me and would never kill me. I had to box myself into a corner and limit my options so that I could in turn limit the King's options. Once I make it clear that I would not concede no matter what the cost, he would have to choose between killing me and conceding the fight." Ju gave his uncle a sneaky smile, elated that he was still alive.

Baek Ah shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh. "You should stop trusting the instincts of your reliable source or you will get yourself killed. She has the same perilous habit as her mother, of looking at the world through rose-tinged glasses."

Ju took a look at his surroundings and realized that he was not in his room. Maybe, he was in Uncle Baek Ah's room though the decorations and trimmings he saw around him were a little too grand to suit his uncle's more elegant taste.

"So, what happens now that I fainted without conceding or dying? Do we have another go at it?" Ju asked hopefully.

"You just returned to the world of the living and you already want to have another go at me?"

Ju looked up in alarm just as Baek Ah stood up to greet the King who strode casually into the room.

-0-

* * *

-0-

So, What did you think of Ju's strategy and did you like So's reaction to the news? Where do you think we will go from here? Please review and lemme know.

* * *

-0-

Thank you for your reviews. I will answer some of your questions here:

 **Erni** **chapter 15 . Dec 13**

 **Wang So much more stronger than his son...after all his name is wolf guardian Angel and my beloved 4th Prince. ..hihi**

Damn right, Erni. Wang So is way stronger than his son but then his son is just as sneaky as him.

-0-

 **sandufus** **chapter 15 . Dec 13**

 **Ju doesn't stand a chance but I am curious about how he's going to get So to concede o.o Aaarrrggghhh you're killing me with the suspense!**

 **sandufus** **chapter 14 . Dec 10**

 **Well, at least now we know what daddy Jung's sentiments are regarding Ju's intentions... now I'm curious how daddy So will react xD**

Thank you, friend. I hope this chapter answers both your questions. I hope I managed to meet your expectations and didn't disappoint you. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.

-0-

 **Guest** **chapter 11 . Dec 13**

 **Why doesn't Soel acknowlegde Mun Deok as her half sister when she knows So is both their father?**

As we discussed in chapter 3, Soel knows about her parentage but she doesn't want to acknowledge it openly because no good would come of it and it would hurt her adoptive father, Jung. Also, when she wishes she had a sister like Mun Deok, she is talking more about the relationship where you grow up with a sister, spending time together, fighting and making up, gossiping and shopping together, and sharing happiness and sadness.

-0-

 **princessugar** **chapter 15 . Dec 13**

 **What wrote is so beautiful~ Thank you so much for sharing these chapters with us 3**

-0-

 **Lovefreely** **chapter 13 . Dec 10**

 **Your character development & background is what has made me compelled to read more of your writing. Please write more to this star crossed lovers story soon. Fighting!**

 **Lovefreely** **chapter 13 . Dec 10**

 **I really enjoyed chapter 13, especially the ending. While the ending has left me wanting no needing more of this story (as soon as you can finish the next chapter, please), the relationship development between Ju & Seol is just as complicated if not more than their father's and their respective mothers. I'm hoping that Ju & Seol can remain shipped away together in upcoming chapters even if they have to go through some rough water. Hopeful!**

-0-

 **Guest** **chapter 13 . Dec 9**

 **GAHHHHHH JU AND SOEL KISSED**

-0-

 **iza** **chapter 15 . Dec 13**

 **I really enjoyed your story**

-0-

Thank you princessugar, Lovefreely, iza and guest reviewers. Your comments encourage me to keep going. So please stick with me and let me know how you liked this chapter. I hope I was able to meet your expectations and you'll be around to cheer me on as I work on the next chapter.

-0-


	17. Chapter 17 - The long winded path to you

(972 AD, 23rd year of Gwangjong's reign)

* * *

Ju took a deep breath and walked into his mother's room, hoping against hope that his father's intuition was correct. Queen Daemok had summoned her son to her chambers within an hour after the King's announcement and Ju had been waiting. He found his mother pacing in obvious fury, ranting about her incorrigible husband who not only decided on her son's wedding but also announced said decision without so much as a word to her. She swore to thwart his plans and declared that she will never allow someone from a political nonentity like Silla to become her daughter-in-law, let alone the future Queen of Goryeo. Ju waited for a break in her monologue before tentatively pleading for restraint.

"Please don't do anything rash."

The quiet voice of her son cut through her fury and shook the Queen more than the monumental announcement. She staggered back in shock and confusion when she saw the guilt and anguish written plainly all over his grave face as he persisted.

"Can you please let this one go for my sake?"

"You knew?"

The words that fell softly from the Queen's mouth sounded hollow even to her own ears. She closed her eyes and steadied herself, willing herself to stay calm and withstand the answer she dreaded.

"Yes."

Ju kept his head bowed, eyes downcast, refusing to meet her gaze.

"You made a deal with him, didn't you?"

Ju nodded in response though he knew that it was more of a statement than a question. The silence between mother and son stretched for a long moment before the Queen nodded her head in understanding.

"I should have known. I was a fool to believe that the King suddenly valued his daughter's happiness so highly that he was willing to incur the wrath of the Yoo clan and tolerate the elation of the Hwangbos. It was so uncharacteristic of him and yet I convinced myself that it's true, maybe because I wanted to believe that he cared, maybe even loved his family." She ground her teeth in fury as she continued, "But this was the real reason, wasn't it? He agreed to Doek's marriage to Chi in return for the right to choose your bride. How could you do this? How could you be so thoughtless and make such stupid deals with him without consulting me?"

Ju balled his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He bit his tongue and drew blood as he forced himself to stay still, to not respond. He gulped down the bile and the guilt that rose to his throat as his mother continued her tirade against his father, taking his silence for affirmation. "It's better this way", Ju told himself. At least, his father was used to being the focal point of his mother's wrath. Also, she would never hurt him. But the same cannot be said for the other person who will become a target if his mother ever found out the real reason why he had agreed to the deal.

* * *

-0-

"This is unacceptable. He is yet to make it up to us for knocking us down a notch and promoting the Hwangbos and now he wants us to accept Gyeongsunwang's daughter as the future Queen? The King is deliberately sidelining us to punish us for standing up to him when he usurped the throne from a legitimate Yoo King and you are too naïve to see it."

The minister thumped his palm on the center table with vehemence to make his point.

"It doesn't help that he loves his half-brother from Silla more than his real brother", another added in a low voice, drawing the ire of Vice King Moonwon who sat at the head of the table.

Soel's mouth dropped open as the words sunk in. When ministers from the Yoo clan had rushed to Chungju from the capital along with a large contingent of clan elders and gone into an emergency meeting with her father, Soel's curiosity was piqued. She had peeked into the room and listened in on their conversation in hopes of getting some snippet of news from the capital.

"The future Queen?"

Soel mouthed the words as she tried to come to terms with what she had just heard. It couldn't be true. Her feet gave way without warning and she sank to the floor, repeating the words over and over again as the commotion continued inside the room where her father tried in vain to smooth the frayed nerves of angry nobles who were way too agitated to notice anything other than the looming threat to their power and position.

"You should talk to Queen Daemok. After all, the reason we are being targeted is because we backed Prince Wook when he demanded that the King should marry her. Your mother convinced us then that having the backing of a powerful Queen would be beneficial to us. It's about time that we reaped some of those benefits, don't you think?", one of the elders suggested to Prince Jung in what would have been a placating tone if it hadn't been for the edge in his voice that suggested that he was losing his patience just as much as the others.

Soel could still hear the cacophony of voices from the meeting and yet none of the words registered. She felt a dull throbbing pain and a constriction in her chest. A sob escaped her mouth as she concentrated hard to keep her breathing even. She clamped a hand over her mouth worried that the bickering nobles might hear her. She had to get away.

Soel continued down the pathway in a daze, shaking and swaying, pushing against the wall to keep herself upright. She went where her feet took her, unaware and uncaring about the tears streaming down her face. It couldn't be true. There must be some mistake. Ju promised her that he'd move heaven and earth to find his way to her and Ju never breaks his promises, no matter how small. She trusted him and wholeheartedly believed that he'd find a way to convince his parents and hers. But now he was marrying someone else. So what went wrong? Is he being forced into it or did he just give up on her? Had the obstacles become too much for him to overcome or did he realize that he did not love her anymore?

There had to be an explanation. Soel tried to sort through her memories in an attempt to find one but her thoughts and emotions were all in a jumble and she couldn't hold on to any semblance of rational thought before her mind was stormed and flooded with myriad emotions that overwhelmed her. She finally gave up trying to gain control over the onslaught and crumbled in a heap beneath a tree, giving in to her grief and letting sobs wrack her body.

When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Ju. In her mind's eye, she saw his face light up with a smile, and heard the tenderness and sincerity in his voice when he promised never to let go. She remembered his playful tone and the smirk on his face as he sat on a bough and teased her about her lack of balance. She saw the fiery eyes that narrowed when he took his stance in a fight, before he swirled like the wind and threw himself at opponents twice his size with all his strength, never holding back. That was the man she loved and she knew that he would never give up on her if there was even a sliver of hope.

But then she was reminded of the crown prince Ju who was often lost in thought; the prince who walked with a confident gait with his head held high like he owned the world and yet had somber eyes that reflected the weight of an entire country that would someday rest on his young shoulders. She reminded herself that though that part of him seemed to diminish and disappear when they were together, that is the real Ju. That Ju had responsibilities that cannot be ignored and some of those directly clashed with his love for her.

Maybe the times they shared were all that they were destined to have. Maybe she should be thankful for those moments, those memories. An image she treasured flashed before her eyes – the image of Ju as he gracefully scaled walls and traversed rooftops, free as a bird, eyes dancing with excitement, tendrils of hair spreading like waves around his face; a face that held unfettered joy as he threw back his head and reveled in the moment as though he didn't have a care in the world.

As she realized that she would never see that person ever again, Soel's sobs heightened and she found herself gripping her skirt and screaming in frustration at her loss and her helplessness. When a strong hand gripped her shoulder and gently guided her into a hug, she did not resist. She laid her head on her father's broad chest and cried her eyes out as he held her in his embrace and patted her while promising over and over again that it will be alright.

They stayed that way for hours before Soel was completely spent and fell asleep from exhaustion in his warm embrace. She was lost to the world when her father gently gathered her in his arms and carried her back home.

* * *

-0-

Ju sat on the steps leading down to Lake Dongji and absent-mindedly tossed pebbles into the still water as he reflected on his conversation with his mother. Things had not exactly progressed the way his father predicted but then again, these were early days. He should be feeling happy if not elated that things were progressing at all and yet all that he felt was shame. He had not lied to his mother outright and yet he let her believe the worst about her husband in hopes that her anger would keep her from seeing his real motives.

He wondered how long it would be before Soel heard about the royal wedding. He could not forewarn her and it broke his heart when he reflected on how hurt she would be upon hearing the news from someone else. Would she understand? Would she hate him enough to never want to see him again?

"Regretting your decision already?"

Ju quickly stood and bowed to the King who walked down the steps nonchalantly, as though he was just stopping to discuss the weather with his son while taking a lazy stroll around his garden. But Ju knew that his father never took walks in the afternoon. He noticed that the King's personal bodyguards stood a couple of feet farther than they usually did and sensed that this was definitely not a chance encounter. He turned with a genuine smile to face his father who had timed his spur-of-the-moment outing to deliberately run into his son and have a personal conversation.

"No, I don't regret it. But I can't help feeling uneasy. I wish there was a way I could be honest about what I want without all the scheming and plotting."

Ju sighed as he revealed his innermost thoughts to the one person he had never expected to share them with.

"Apparently, there is a world where everyone is equal; where you can be whatever you want, love whoever you want without reservation and marry the one you love. If you find your way to that world someday, maybe you can."

Ju gave a short laugh but stopped himself when he glanced at the King. He was baffled by the hope and yearning in his father's eyes.

"You weren't joking? Such a world actually exists?"

King Gwangjong nodded. "Yes, a 1000 years from now."

Ju gaped, unsure whether his father was having fun at his expense or having a mental breakdown and King Gwangjong burst out laughing.

"If you find it unbelievable, just add it to the million things I have said and done over the years that must have seemed crazy to you. I'm sure your mother taught you that most of the decisions I made were absurd. Now that I look back, I realize that I probably should have involved you a lot more. Even if no one else does, you have to understand why I did what I did because you will have to deal with the implications. You will inherit my legacy."

The King's shoulders slumped as he reflected on the years that he had lost to bitterness and blind rage. But Ju smiled as he shook his head.

"I understood, even when no one else did. Every single decision you made, I understood your rationale. I could deduce what you were trying to achieve, sometimes better than my mother could. I saw the logic behind you actions even when I didn't want acknowledge it. Even when I hated your decisions, even during the most barbaric of your purges, even when you barged in sword in hand to claim my neck, I understood why you had to do it. In fact, your motivations and reasoning were so obvious to me that it terrified me. Maybe it's because I'm your son or maybe it's because we read the same books or maybe it's the knowledge that I'll have to take over from you someday or maybe it's all of those and more. Whatever the reason, I want you to know that I always understood."

Ju felt a weight lifting off his shoulder. It was a simple confession of something he had known all his life and yet being able to acknowledge it somehow liberated him. He had spent too many years being ashamed of the kinship he felt with someone who hated his very existence.

When he looked up, he was shocked to see a lone tear roll down his father's cheek. King Gwangjong quickly averted his face and blinked, attempting to give the impression that his eyes were watering because of the bright light.

"There is still hope for you", he said with a short laugh, "You might make a decent King. After all, you are as smart as I am and as sly as your mother."

"But I'm not like either of you. I can't seem to find any joy in plotting and scheming. Such victories somehow seem hollow and meaningless. You probably think that I'm being overly dramatic and sentimental but it terrifies me that even if I'm a decent King, I would also be a very miserable one", Ju said with a sigh and a sad smile.

"I don't think you are being overly dramatic. I understand what you mean. But it's a burden you must bear", King Gwangjong said as he opened his arms wide. Walking into his father's embrace, Ju smiled in contentment. He could finally acknowledge that he was proud of his father and his legacy and he could accept himself for who he was with all the constituent frailties, inadequacies and inconsistencies. He might not be perfect but he was still the son of King Gwangjong and when the time comes, he will do his best to be a wise and just King.

* * *

-0-

Soel woke up to find her father nodding off on a chair by her bedside. As she tried to sit up, he was up in an instant and by her side, propping her up on some pillows. Without a word, he picked up a bowl of porridge and Soel opened her mouth to accept the spoonful that was thrust towards her. She was thankful for the silence and willed the bowl of porridge to last forever as she dreaded the questions that were bound to follow. What explanation could she possibly give for her behavior?

Placing the empty bowl back in the tray, Jung turned to his daughter and asked without preamble, "Do you like him so much?"

Too tired and worn out to think of an appropriate answer, Soel simply nodded assent. Jung sighed and patted his daughter's head. He didn't need to ask more. He had seen that expression on a very similar face years ago. The pained look on her father's face quickly brought Soel back to her senses.

"But you have nothing to worry about, Father. Obviously, it was not meant to be. He has given up and moved on, and so will I."

Soel gave her father a brave smile even as shards of glass tore into her heart. Jung took a deep breath, his inner conflict apparent in his face. But eventually, his love for his daughter won over his resolve to honor his beloved. The moment he heard the news from the capital, he had known instinctively what it really meant.

"I don't think he has given up just yet. Far from it, I think this just might be a master-stroke. But he couldn't have come up with this all on his own and it terrifies me because I have no idea who exactly is pulling the strings."

* * *

-0-

Thank you for your kind reviews. They keep me going. I will answer some of your questions here:

 **Guest**

 **You portray the son as having some traits of the father despite being raised by Yeonhwa. Interesting.**

I wonder how he will convince his mother to accept Seol who looks like Hae Soo. Yeonhwa hated Hae Soo and told her so in no uncertain terms.

A minor quibble. Isn't Soo's daughter called Seol? Why do you call her Soel?

Thank you for your comment. Yes, I have touched upon the similarity between father and son in this chapter too. Yes, Yeon Hwa will have a fit.

Yes, it's supposed to be Seol. I started off using Soel by mistake but once I did my research, I decided to keep it that way to distinguish her from Wook's second daughter, Hwangbo Seol.

 **Vero Diaz**

 **Will they ever find out that they are half-siblings?**

They already know. The dialogues in chapter 6 reflect that they already know Soel's true parentage. It's the 10th century and half-sibling marriages among royalty was normal. So it wouldn't be a huge revelation for them and wouldn't affect their relationship from that perspective. The impact was more from the fact that Ju had to accept that his father never loved his mother and married her for political reasons.

 **Lovefreely**

 **I am sooo glad that Ju is still alive by some miracle at the end of this chapter. However, I am extremely curious to find out what Seol thinks about Ju's decision to challenge his father to a duel and the outcome of it? Was Seol even aware of it going on? What happens next? Will the king allow Ju & Seol to be together or will it be a cold day in hell before that happens?**

No, Soel wasn't aware. What Soel doesn't know can't harm her.

I hope I've done a good enough job of conveying the King's opinion in this matter.

 **Erni**

 **Tq 4 great chapter. ..finally like father like son ..hihi. .how I missed my SoSoo coupled.**

Thank you, Erni.

 **sandufus**

 **WANG SO/GWANGJONG IS NOW MY FOREVER LOVE LOL**

Thank you, friend. I'm with you. Wang So Forever. :D

 **Guest**

 **Although siblings and first cousin marriages were allowed in ancient times among royalty, incest still makes me very uncomfortable. I read up to chapter 6 and I can't buy the romance. Their father is the same man.  
Sorry.**

Sorry to hear that.


	18. Chapter 18 - When Dreams Come True

My sincere apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. Please read and enjoy...

-0-

* * *

-0-

 **(972 AD, 23rd year of Gwangjong's reign)**

-0-

As he watched his mother pacing back and forth, grinding her teeth and seething with anger, Ju thought back to the conversation he had with his father a couple of weeks earlier.

He had agreed to the King's plan more because of lack of other options and because he was overjoyed to have his father in his corner than with any real expectation that it would actually work.

Queen Daemok stopped pacing, clutched her chest and collapsed into a chair. As the sharp pain in her chest eased, she opened her eyes and looked at her son kneeling before her with concern written all over his face. She forced a smile and told him that she was alright.

Then with steely determination in her eyes and bitterness in her voice, she said, "You must marry Yoo Seol."

* * *

-0-

 **(Flash back - 2 weeks ago in the King's chamber)**

-0-

"It's not that simple. Even if I issue a royal decree, Jung will defy me and then I would have no option but to punish him and that will be the end of the already tenuous influence I have over the Yoo clan. Then there is your mother. She will burn down all of Songak before she lets you marry Seol."

With knit eyebrows, King Gwangjong glanced up at his son. He scowled when he saw the smile spreading across Ju's face.

King Gwangjong had been trying to drive home the point that Ju's quest to marry the girl he loved was beyond impossible. However, in doing so, instead of despair, he had given Ju more hope because the very words that were meant to be discouraging had ended up revealing that the King himself was not entirely opposed to the idea.

"Stop grinning. I'm not happy with this situation either. I have always preferred to keep Seol out of the political quagmire that is Songak."

"Yes, your majesty."

Ju nodded his head and tried to suppress his smile but failed miserably. He had been splashing around in the roaring waters, trying to swim against the current, grasping at straws and coming up empty for so long that even a tentative yes from his father made him feel ecstatic. He still had a long way to go but with the King of Goryeo on his side, Ju felt that finally he had a real chance.

King Gwanjong let out a deep sigh.

"As I was saying, this is a sticky situation with no easy solution. But if you are willing to trust me and take a long, tortuous path, maybe I can get Queen Daemok and Jung to come up with the proposal themselves and ask that you marry Seol. "

* * *

-0-

 **(Back to the Queen's chamber to continue the conversation)**

-0-

"You must marry Yoo Seol."

Even as she said that, Queen Daemok scrunched her brows and wrinkled her nose in distaste, literally spitting out the name of the offspring of her mortal enemy. Ju's eyes grew as wide as saucers. He had not dared to hope for this day despite his father's supreme confidence in his plan.

"I wish there was another way to get around this situation. Unfortunately, we missed the intent behind your father's moves and now, we have been checkmated. The Yoos are close to an open revolt and Jung won't be able to keep them in check much longer. As such, he's been losing respect with the clan because your father undermines him at every turn. In any case, we have to stabilize the situation and maintain peace until your coronation. A queen each from Silla and Chungju should keep everyone quiet for the time being."

Queen Daemok looked exhausted as she rested her head against the back of the chair. She closed her eyes for a moment before she shook off her lethargy and leaned forward.

"But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Once you become the King, I want you to marry Hwangbo Su. In fact, marry both the Hwangbo girls. That will assure you of the full support of the Hwangbos. My mother knows that the King will never allow it and so she has convinced the Hwangbos to bide their time and stay by your side if you promise to make Hwangbo Su the Queen of Goryeo when you become King."

Ju's mouth went dry as he heard his mother's elaborate plan to outmanoeuvre the King.

"Mother, I can't do that. Even if I do marry her, Su will be my third wife. She cannot be the Queen of Goryeo."

Queen Daemok gave a short laugh.

"Of course, she can. That girl from Silla intends to become a priestess after the marriage. I don't have any way of proving it to the Yoo clan but I'm convinced that your father never intended for her to become Queen. That marriage was just a ploy to make Seol the Queen while giving Gyeongsunwang of Silla an opportunity to prance around with self-importance and remind everyone that his family has ruled much of Goryeo for 10 centuries."

Her eyes blazed with a fire born of hatred as she looked intently at her son.

"Ju, that terrible excuse for a girl can never be the Queen of Goryeo. Jung will convince the King to let him keep his precious daughter in Chunju after the marriage. I have arranged it so that once the wedding ceremony is complete, that girl will never set foot in Songak again."

She let out a deep sigh and took her son's hands in hers.

"I know that I don't have much time left and I'm worried that Jung might not be as insistent about keeping his daughter away from the throne if I'm not around anymore. His concern for his daughter's welfare might take a backseat to the furore and greed of the clan elders eventually, especially after I'm gone. I've done everything I can but the rest is up to you, son. I need you to grant me my most ardent wish. Don't let that girl sit on my throne."

Ju's eyes were wet with unshed tears as he watched his mother unravel before his eyes with pent up hatred and a quest for revenge.

"Mother, isn't it about time that you let go of the past? The woman's been dead for years and the girl hardly remembers what her mother looked like. Could you not forgive and forget? I wish you could forget all the sorrow and angst of the past and find peace and happiness."

Queen Daemok was surprised by the sincerity and sadness in her son's voice as he made the plea. Her face softened as she reached out and caressed his young face and tears of anger and frustration sprung to her eyes. She shook her head to dispel the moment of weakness.

"I can't let go. I won't let go of my hatred and you shouldn't either. That woman and that girl, they took everything else from us. All of your father's love that should have been ours by right, they took it away. She was nothing, a nobody and yet she pranced around the throne room like she owned it and enjoyed more privileges than the Queen herself. But that woman, no matter how hard she tried, was never Queen. That was my victory. She died as a court lady that no one will remember while I will go down in history as the Queen consort of King Gwangjong. That was my revenge. My throne – I protected it from her until the very end."

A small smile flickered across the Queen' face before it contorted with anger.

"Now she's back from beyond the grave, to claim the throne through that wretched girl - that girl who is the spitting image of her mother."

Queen Daemok grabbed her son's hand and her tone grew more desperate with every word.

"My son, you must protect the throne. It was the only thing she couldn't take away from me and I can't lose now. I know that it's a lot to ask for. I know that it will not be easy but don't worry. Mother will help you. I will ensure that you have the support of as many clans as possible to see this through. So, please promise me, son. Promise me that she'll never be Queen."

Ju remained silent for a very long time before he nodded his head.

"I promise."

* * *

-0-

 **(A month later – Royal wedding of Crown Prince Ju)**

-0-

Yoo Seol carefully folded the blue and red ceremonial robe she had worn that day. A shy smile graced her soft mouth and a pink blush spread across her cheeks as she remembered glancing up during the ceremony at the groom and being rewarded with his bright, disarming smile.

He had looked so handsome – her husband. Seol bit her lip and covered her face with her hands. Her husband - those words brought her so much joy. Princess Mun Deok was right - it was truly a dream come true.

That morning while helping Seol with her clothes and make-up, the princess had noticed the red ribbon with gold embroidery in Seol's hand – the one that Ju gave Seol years ago when they went out to the market place to celebrate the double ninth festival. Seol had wanted to wear the ribbon on her wedding day and the princess had happily incorporated it into a beautiful braid that would support the crown that Seol had worn during the wedding ceremony.

Mun Deok had referred to the ribbon as a reminder of the beautiful memories that they shared together and their unattainable dream that had finally come true.

Setting aside the folded clothes and the elaborate headgear, Seol sat down on the bed, still dressed in the shimmering white silk robe that had served as the undergarment for the wedding gown. She placed the dagger that her father had given her under the pillow and looked forlornly at the door which stubbornly remained closed. She fingered the red ribbon as she remembered the conversation that she had that morning with Queen Daemok.

"Be sure to get a good look at the groom during the wedding ceremony because you will never see him again. After today, you will never set foot in Songak again."

Seol had been taken aback by the depth of the hatred that was gleaming in the Queen's eyes as she breathed those words. The Queen had followed through on her threat. She had suddenly taken ill soon after the ceremony and as per her request, her son had accompanied her to her brother's home where the Queen would spend the rest of her days with her mother, Queen Hwangbo.

Seol quickly dried the tears that rolled down her eyes. She contemplated that while her dream did come true, she ended up losing what she truly wanted. The next morning, she would leave Songak and would never return. She could no longer visit the palace with her father as she used to and Ju cannot visit her in Chungju very often; or at all if his mother had her way.

Marrying Ju had meant giving up all opportunities to spend time with him - to talk to him, to laugh with him, to climb trees and jump over the walls with him. That reminded her of something Ju had told her years ago - "You should be careful what you wish for. Might just come true."

She smiled through her tears as she lay her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

* * *

-0-

Hours later, Seol was drifting away in troubled sleep when the sound of the closing door awoke her. It took a moment for Seol to find her bearings. She sat up and her fingers gripped the hilt of the dagger hidden under her pillow. She lifted her hand and held the dagger close to her face as her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness and process the long shadows in the dull moonlight that seeped into the room.

At that moment, the intruder threw his riding cloak across a chair and crossed the room to stand before her bed.

"You are awake", Ju said with a smile.

"I thought… I thought you left", Seol stammered.

"I did but how could I stay away when my wife is all alone and on edge? A dagger? Really? My brave wife was planning to slash the throats of assassins with a dagger?"

With a smile, he sat down close to her and gently pried the dagger off her shaking hand. Drinking in the beauty of her flushed face in soft moonlight, he tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. As he did, his eyes fell on the red ribbon that snaked around her hair.

"That ribbon suits you. Someone with impeccable taste must have given it to you."

Seol smiled as she touched the ribbon softly. "Of course, it does. And it matches my wedding robes perfectly."

Ju raised his brows as he eyed the thin silk robe. "It does?" he asked with a sly smile.

Seol turned her face away blushing profusely. "I meant the one I was wearing this morning."

"Ah… so…. If it's no longer matching, maybe you should take it off", he said softly as he tucked at the white ribbon and the soft white cloth slid off her pale shoulders.

* * *

-0-

Please let me know how you liked or disliked this chapter. What worked, what didn't and what can I do to improve? Reviews and comments please...


End file.
